Public gets peek at Windows Media Player 11

Taking aim at the dominance of Apple Computer, Microsoft this week is launching a test version of a revamped jukebox aimed at trying to knock iTunes down a peg.

Microsoft plans to make the beta of Windows Media Player 11 available for free to Windows XP users on Wednesday, but some consumers got an earlier look by scooping up a portable device optimized for the new jukebox.

The new media player is Microsoft’s latest attempt to unseat Apple, whose sales of both music and digital music players have consistently outpaced those of competitors.

Microsoft says despite Apple’s big lead, the competition for online music supremacy isn’t nearly over. Redmond’s strategy is to attract the enormous number of people who have yet to buy a digital music player, says Geoff Harris, product unit manager for Windows Media Player.

“Remember the digital market represents only 5 percent of the total market,” Harris said “That means that 95 percent are still buying in traditional means. At the end of the day, this (segment) is still in its infancy.”

Full article: ZDNet