禇移风·New Execution Engine

Microsoft’s Head of Digital Media, Erik Huggers, announced yesterday
his company’s intention to directly compete with the iPod. "Come this
fall there is going to be a number of devices that get close to
competing with Apple’s iPod…there is going to be a whole lineup of
products that can compete with Apple in industrial design, usability,
functionality and features."

Of course, this won’t be easy for Microsoft. Apple has one distinct
advantage in this particular race: They produce both the hardware and
the software. More after the jump.

[Via Spymac]

 While the iPod and iTunes Music Store work together seamlessly,
Microsoft has had a difficult time showing customers which
Windows-friendly media devices work with which applications. A campaign
called "PlaysForSure," which puts logos on compatible devices (and
reminds me of Garanimals), was recently put in place to combat the
confusion. However, the success of the campaign has been limited.
Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research in New York, writes,
"We tend to call it ‘PlaysForAlmostSure.’ Meanwhile Apple’s iPod and
iTunes are dancing together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers."