Lasse Penttinen
25 Aug 2004 11:01
The software giant is making it's late entry to the music e-tailing business, as the next version of the Windows Media Player are said to come with the online music store features integrated. While the entrance is way behind Apple,Real and others, Microsoft has once again a definitive edge. It can promote the latest WMP through Windows Update and most likely will bundle the software to the SP2 updated Windows retail and OEM CDs.
Early-release versions of the player look like knock-offs of Apple's iTunes Music Store, complete with brushed nickel finish. But hey, why mess with success? A button in the upper right corner of the player will take consumers to the download store.Source: SiliconValley.com
Microsoft has told entertainment executives that it expects to introduce as many as 130 million people to its music download store as computer users are prompted to update their media player software. And that's not counting the 300 million people who drop by the MSN site.