According to Reuters, the unnamed device is to be released in December and one of its features is the capability for users to download music and videos over the air. Read more... (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2006-07-05T225228Z_01_N05308816_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-MICROSOFT.xml&archived=False)

If it offers internet radio streaming and a better EQ than the iPod (which produces distortion in the bass), then I'm definitely interested. And no annoying iTunes. (Thank God for the Winamp plugin, otherwise I wouldn't even be using my Nano.)

Microsoft may be the software giant, but so far, hardware-wise, they have been good. I beleive that this "unnamed device" will be a awesome.

Microsoft may be the software giant, but so far, hardware-wise, they have been good. I beleive that this "unnamed device" will be a awesome.

You can bet it will be proprietary up the wazoo.

1. Probably non-standard power connections - requiring special AC adaptors.
2. Non-standard USB connection - again, requiring a special cable.
3. Almost definately will not support USB Mass Storage instead using Microsoft's brain damaged Windows Transport Protocol (where your files go on the device, but can never come back).
4. The only reason it will support MP3 (instead of just WMV) is because no one will buy it if it's WMV only.

I'll be happily surprised if this is untrue, but judging by what Microsoft has done (i.e. pressuring current DAP vendors to put in standard-breaking features), I'm not holding my breath.

Call it propaganda but Windows is really rather open hardware wise.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1861748,00.asp

The trick is that Windows was an open platform. It grew to dominate the market because, unlike the Apple Macintosh, it was an operating system that allowed anyone to build compatible hardware and software. "The fact that Microsoft worked really hard to make it open, so that thousands of companies could build PCs and add-ons and software, has been one of the great stories of the industry," says Rick LeFaivre, who was vice president in charge of Apple's advanced technology group in the mid-1990s. "I think everybody has learned the value of having a relatively open platform that people can plug in to."


That this comes from a vp who was in charge of Apple's Advanced Tech group in the mid 90s, speaks volume when he comments that "Microsoft worked really hard to make it open (hardware wise)".

I'm not sure why the MS bashing is needed here. iPod also uses non-standard connectors and the iTunes DRM is proprietary as well.

I'm not sure why the MS bashing is needed here. iPod also uses non-standard connectors and the iTunes DRM is proprietary as well.

Which is why I won't touch it with a 50' pole either.

Call it propaganda but Windows is really rather open hardware wise.

Ya, it's propaganda. Microsoft never controlled the PC hardware, therefore they had to make Windows run on a variety of hardware.

And since Windows is software, saying that it's "open hardware wise" is nonsensical.

I like the Ipod, I like Windows plus I like the fact that Microsoft hardware products are good. I think you should post in another forum...unless you really want an adult discussion. That's what makes an interesting discussion.