Microsoft are hoping that the many wonders of Wi-Fi can help them take on Apple in battle to dominate the digital music space.
Speaking less than two days after Apple boss Steve Jobs revealed details of his company's latest plans in the digital content arena, Microsoft VP Of Fun Things, J Allard (that's his full name by the way, we're not being formal, he really is called 'J' - for reasons I never really understood he changed his name from James a while back), said yesterday that the previously reported Microsoft Zune player would launch with in-built Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing users to share playlists, pictures, their own music and even copyrighted tracks with other Zune owners. When users share copyrighted music, their friends will be able to listen to a shared track up to three times over a three day period.
Revealing more information about Microsoft's previously announced move into the iPod / iTunes territory, an area the IT giant hasn't previously got directly involved in, Allard said yesterday: "We believe in connection. We're launching a product with a very simple idea. We're putting Wi-Fi in everything we do".
Allard also revealed that Microsoft's iTunes rival, to be called Zune Marketplace, will offer both an iTunes' style a la carte option, but also a Napster style subscription service.
Faced with questions as to whether Microsoft can catch up rival Apple in the digital music space, Allard said that the whole sector was still in its infancy, and that everything was still to be played for. Comparing current digital music players to Henry Ford's Model T automobile or early video game Pong, he said: "There are billions of people on planet earth who listen to music and [Apple's] sold 50 million gadgets. So we're in this early phase of digital music and portable entertainment".
Timelines and price points for Zune are still unclear, though indications are of a pre-Christmas launch in the US. Word also has it that Zune players will come pre-loaded with music from various EMI labels, which might fuel rumours that Microsoft are planning some kind of launch promotion with the Beatles - whose EMI owned catalogue is as yet not available from legitimate download platforms.