A few days ago, we published speculative news on tjhe rumored Argo music player from Microsoft. Now, we have additional support for the existence of such a device. In MTV chief confirms Microsoft’s iPod killer, Reuters Newsblogs quote MTV CEO Judy McGrath as saying that she has seen the wee beastie. McGrath’s comments were made at a cable TV trade show.

The way this story is unfolding makes one suspicious that Microsoft is selectively leaking information to create as much buzz as possible. If the Microsoft MP3 player was as big a secret as they would like one to believe, McGrath would have seen it only with an ironclad NDA. This “leak”, in conjunction with the “secret photo” published by Engadget, point more toward a buzz campaign in advance of the formal product announcement than inept security at the software giant.

The only part of the buildup that seems problematic to me is the “iPod Killer” moniker. That sets expectations for any new device at a level that will be hard to achieve with real technology in today’s marketplace. Apple’s market share, brand strength, and general consumer acceptance, combined with the technology lock-in of iTunes, mean that even superior technology will have a long road to market dominance.

Tweet This Post