Microsoft iPod rival due by Christmas • Microsoftcasts?

[feastoffools]

Have you guys heard about Microfsoft's new iPod competitor and if they plan to support podcasts, or even what they are going to call them? Microsoftcasts?

Heaven forbid.

http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/07/05/ipod.competitor.by.holiday/

This probably means we'll all have larger and larger audiences. No?

[evilproducer]

Meh. :|

[feastoffools]

Meh indeed. But has Microsoft announced any plans for supporting RSS feeds or podcast subscriptions?

[evilproducer]

While I'm pondering if Microsucks will support rss feeds, you need to think about my favorite line from MacAddict's Shutdown page:

"The day that Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck, is the day they make vacuum cleaners." :lol:

Ponder that.

Time for me to hit the hay.

Later,
Evil.

[siriusfox]

I could care less if the iPod goes down. As long as I can still use it I'm ok. I serously doubt though that it will Kill the iPod though. No one player can do that, all of them over time will do that.

As for the term, I don't think Microsoft can rebrad something that is in such a full swing, with everyone who is using it calling it by that name.

[kinkysex]

Every time some company makes an 'ipod' killer AND creates an easy way for the average joe to use RSS - I'm a happy camper.

Hopefully this new device will inspire 'one click subscription' in IE that my mom could use. If MS did that, I'd be thrilled!

Itunes is king because itunes is easy. Me thinks. :lol:

[WyethDigital]

Every time some company makes an 'ipod' killer AND creates an easy way for the average joe to use RSS - I'm a happy camper.

Hopefully this new device will inspire 'one click subscription' in IE that my mom could use. If MS did that, I'd be thrilled!

Itunes is king because itunes is easy. Me thinks. :lol:
There already is a device your Mom could use with one-click simplicity. It's called an iPod, and to make it even better, run it off a Mac. Then she wouldn't need IE (ugh)!

As for killing the iPod? Well, the Walkman didn't go down until mp3 players (chiefly the iPod) brought it down. I suspect that it will take a similar seismic shift in how we absorb entertainment before the iPod is effectively "killed."

:)

Eric

[kinkysex]

Sorry buddy, but "average joe user" is using IE and doesn't own an ipod.

It's an unfortunate truth.

If microsoft launches anything that is even half-assed decent, that means millions of new listeners/viewers.

So, here's to them killing the i-pod. And then apple killing the microsoft thing, etc....

[WyethDigital]

Sorry buddy, but "average joe user" is using IE and doesn't own an ipod.

It's an unfortunate truth.

If microsoft launches anything that is even half-assed decent, that means millions of new listeners/viewers.

So, here's to them killing the i-pod. And then apple killing the microsoft thing, etc....
Well, you didn't say anything about what Average Joe computer user was using. You said you wanted something your Mom could run easilly. Its all subjective, but with the Click-Wheel, and the plug-n-play simplicity of iTunes, iPod is the easiest. My sister in law has "another brand," and still can't figure out how to use all the functions. And she's an engineer.

Also, given that Apple has 70% of the North American market share, the Average Joe mp3 user is using an iPod. :)

Eric

[evilproducer]

Here's (http://www.crazyapplerumors.com/?p=633) a tongue in cheek description of the song download process for the iPod killer.

[kinkysex]

Well, you didn't say anything about what Average Joe computer user was using.

Umm, yes I did.

"Every time some company makes an 'ipod' killer AND creates an easy way for the average joe to use RSS - I'm a happy camper."

So, there. :D

Oh, and I had heard i-pod has 85% of the market.
But my info was from Steve Jobs at an apple event, so take it with a grain of salt. Is he inflating his numbers?

[evilproducer]

Microsoft has a lot of ill will out there. Yes, 95% of the planet uses Windows, but from what I read in the press, and have seen for myself, there is a growing number of people that uses Windows, but doesn't like MS, it's OS or it's ancillary software.

I think an iPod rival by MS would be treated with great skepticism by the general mp3 using population. Fanboys and press excluded. If nothing else, it would be a big "so what."

Realistically, MS would have to target the non-mp3 player using public to gain any market share, and quite frankly, those that don't have one by now either can't afford one, don't want one, or don't have a clue about them. Unfortunately I fall in the first category, but when I do have enough money to justify the expenditure, I sure as hell am not buying an MS product. Why would 75-80% of mp3 users who've made a significant investment in hardware, music DLs and time (ripping CD collections) wish to give it up for an unproven product?

So unless it's feature set is in some way stellar or inovative I still say: Meh. :|

Later,
Evil.

[mental-escher]

Er... "Microcast (http://www.mental-escher.net/MA/)" is already a registered trademark of the Pluri Media Group.