News.com reports on the launch of the Zune portable media player from Microsoft Corp. 'The device, which the company anticipates will be ready in time for the holidays, will come in three colors and be capable, via its built-in Wi-Fi, of sharing full-length songs with other nearby Zune devices, the software giant said. As had been revealed through regulatory filings, it includes a 30GB hard drive as well as a 3-inch screen. The Zune will come in black, brown and white, but the company has declined to reveal any pricing information.
With the Zune, Microsoft is chasing Apple and its iconic music player, the iPod, which has thus far eclipsed all challengers. For Microsoft to mount a serious campaign against Apple--which has sold more than 60 million iPods in five years--the Zune has to offer compelling features that the iPod lacks, analysts say. This gets harder and harder to do with Apple's continuous upgrades of the iPod. '
Read: Microsoft unwraps Zune for holiday season - News.com