iPod rival makes a lot more sense than iPod killler.

I really hope this thing with Microsoft is a huge flop. Apple is one of the few companies that doesn't need competition to stay innovative.

I must admit, I am a bit worried about the whole thing. Maybe I shouldn't be? Microsoft just has way too much money to throw around and I'm afraid too many people will buy into the huge marketing effort Microsoft is sure to put forth.

I hope Apple has some great stuff in the works for the 6th gens...

Microsoft today pre-announced the coming soon, soon to be released in beta, iPod killer, iVista.

They'll get this out by Christmas, but Vista won't be ready till the New Year?

If this is true, I look at the bright side in that Apple will have a competitor for music, but it seems that its competitor for operating systems has signaled its last hurrah on that front.

Windows is dead. Long live Windows.

Buying music right to your player? Sounds GREAT!

Except...

* There goes your battery life

* And/or the thing gets bulkier and heavier for battery and antenna

* You probably have to pay something for the communications service involved (rather than just using your home ISP)

* You can't browse and sort results, with album art, columns of details, etc., on a tiny screen as well as you can on a computer's large screen

* You can't enter artist/title names to shop for on a handheld device as easily as you can with a real keyboard

* You can't manage and edit and organize your collection as well on a handheld device as you can with a mouse--unless you have a stylus adding bulk and ready to be lost (but no matter how bulky, the screen will still be smaller than iTunes on a computer)

* Your new music is now arriving in two places (assuming you still buy CDs or use download services)--rather than the simplicity of always sending new music directly to your computer which is your master library

* What about burning CDs?

* More complexity is not always a good addition to your music experience

* Would the quality be reduced, or would the arrival of the file just be slow?

* Is having to worry about finding a signal and signal strength and interruptions a good thing for shopping?

* You still have to plug in to charge anyway, which takes longer than synching your latest downloads

* Can't you wait until you get home? Is this really a "problem" consumers want solved?

* It still won't have Apple ease-of-use (or style or mindshare)

* Nearly every time poor Microsoft gets press exposure for it, the iPod and iTunes will be mentioned too--free mindshare for the competitor, and often in the tone of Microsoft copying Apple and playing catch-up (not the best kind or PR in the Vista vs. Leopard age)

* It will either be designed separately from the software and service (which puts it at a disadvantage compared to the well-integrated iPod + iTunes) or else it will be competing with services from Microsoft's allies

* The hardware will be competing with Microsoft's allies regardless.

* If you have to have DRM, I'd rather mine didn't come from Microsoft.

* It probably won't run on Mac, yet Microsoft will talk about "choice."

Otherwise, it sounds great

Even if Apple came out with such a service/device, many of the same problems would still apply.

But we don't know what will really be released: something else--like streaming satellite radio--I can see having its place. Still too bulky for me, but a streaming digital music subscription would have its uses. Maybe Microsoft is creating Sirius or FM with more choice? (Or with less?)

always one step behind waiting for an idea.
Go Microsoft!

As far as I know, no one has seen how their "system" works, so although nagromme makes an excellent bunch of points, these points assume a lot about the way "wireless" works in Microsoft's configuration.

Since MS can't keep a secret, we'll all know soon enough what it means to Apple.