Microsoft confirms desire to compete with the iPod

Software giant Microsoft has confirmed what was already a poorly kept secret: that the company intends to compete with Apple in the portable music player market. The Redmond, Wash., company has assembled a top-notch team to pursue the idea, Business Week reported on Thursday.

“Officially, nothing has been announced,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said. “I don’t think anything has been officially decided.”

However, the company has confirmed that the idea of manufacturing a portable music player is part of a major reorganization of the company that will continue to take place throughout 2006. One of the three divisions resulting from that reorganization was the Entertainment and Devices Division. It is this division that presumably would produce a competitor to Apple’s iPod.

The iPod already has competitors but still dominates the market, with a 75-percent market share. Innovations have abounded in recent years, but the majority of them have been by Apple and its industry-driving iTunes software.

Still, the idea of a Microsoft Music Player is no doubt attractive to many Windows disciples. It now seems a question of when, not if.