Microsoft to Launch Portable Media Center in 2004
35 minutes ago
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SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) said on Monday that it would launch software for a new portable media device to be launched next year that will allow users to listen to music and watch movies on the road.
Portable Media Center, Microsoft's answer to Apple Computer Inc.'s (Nasdaq:AAPL - news) iPod digital music player, will be able to play MP3 files as well as audio and video content recorded in Microsoft's own digital format.
The devices, which will be built by various manufacturers, including Tatung Co. (2371.TW), Creative Technology Ltd. (CREA.SI), Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (6764.T), and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS), are set to hit store shelves during the second half 2004, Microsoft said.
The world's largest software maker said that its device will allow users to listen to "thousands of hours of music, watch digitally recorded TV shows or home movies, and store and view digital photo albums."
Apple's iPod, which became a huge hit for the computer company known for its distinctive designs, is one of the best-selling digital music devices on the market, according to various research firms.
Although various manufacturers have long sold portable players for digital music and even videos -- both for Windows and for Apple's computers-- the larger computer software and hardware makers had put little of their marketing muscle behind such devices.
Recently, Dell Inc. (Nasdaq:DELL - news) also announced plans to make a digital music player.
