Digital Home Thoughts: Microsoft Attempts to Chuck the 'Underdog' Label

"When it comes to music, mighty Microsoft is the underdog. For the company that dominates PC operating systems, desktop software suites and e-mail software and has a darn good business in everything from databases to video games, it's an unaccustomed label. Can the latest version of Microsoft's music software, Windows Media Player 11, be the first in many steps to dropping that underdog tag? While there's little question that Apple Computer is the company to beat in digital music, technology critics and analysts say Microsoft is starting to get its act together. Last week, a test version of WMP 11, the company's latest digital jukebox software, was compared favorably by critics to Apple's iTunes. Technology critic Paul Thurrott, for example, gushed in a review on his Web site that despite being an avid iTunes user, he found himself "drawn to Windows Media Player 11" because it "offers dramatically better performance" than iTunes."

With the launch of WMP11, the iRiver Clix and MTV's URGE service, Microsoft et al attempts to shed the 'underdog' cloak and steal the crown from the reigning champion, the iPod and iTunes. Can they do it? It remains to be seen, but here's a short article discussing the various strageties taken by Microsoft and company to put them at the top. Personally, I think that if MTV pushes it hard enough, they may just have the brand recognition to sway those iTunes users, or at least those that were thinking about getting into it. What do you think? Does Microsoft have a chance? Were you on the fence regarding iTunes/URGE? If so, has any of the recent news pushed you one way or the other?