TECHNOLOGY

- reported by Osiris.



Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Microsoft's founder Bill Gates go head-to-head in the new MP3 war.






In the first week after its launch, software giant Microsoft's new MP3 player Zune is ranked 5th on the sales chart, according to market researcher NPD Group Inc.






The Microsoft Zune MP3 player.





This achievement by Microsoft has sent a warning message to current MP3-sales king Apple that the new kid on the block has what it takes to claim some of the Ipod's turf. Apple's Ipod series of MP3 players is currently the world's bestseller.

To deal with the rising challenge of Microsoft, Apple's Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has announced a new inclusion to the Ipod series. The Ipod Floppy, which is shaped like a floppy disk and has 1.44mb of memory, is set to be launched together with the Ipod Flea 2.0 on Christmas Eve.

Said Jobs, "The Ipod Floppy caters to the older generation who want to keep up with the improvements in technology but whose shaky hands will result in numerous cases of ( Ipod ) Nanos dropping and shattering on the floor." The price is estimated to be within US$100 - $250.

The Ipod Floppy is said to be a scaled-down version of the Ipod Video, but tech gurus cannot help but wonder how the 1.44mb memory will be able to store enough music or videos. "It's ridiculous," PC Mag writer Wayne Dose told Rotters Int. "They are just taking advantage of the folks who know little of tech and specs."




Apple's new Ipod Floppy will go on sale this Christmas Eve.






With a successful sales launch of its Zune MP3 player and also its next-gen gaming console Xbox 360, Microsoft will certainly be looking forward to healthy profits during the Christmas season. CEO Bill Gates recently announced a new Word Processor for computer users.

"This new Word Processor will be able to process letters much more efficiently than our previous Office softwares. Instead of just allowing you to type on the PC, the W.P will also let you print it out immediately, so you do not have to buy an external printer. This will certainly save consumers and commercial users a lot of money." Gates did not state if the W.P would be compatible with Mac systems.





The new Word Processor announced by Microsoft.

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