Microsoft "Deeply Committed" To The Zune, Company Says

Contrary to reports from last week, Microsoft says the company is "deeply committed" to the Zune. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer had hinted that the company might be preparing to "throw in the towel" on their digital music player and instead focus on software, however Adam Sohn, head of the Zune marketing division, said, "We're not getting out of the hardware business at all."

There's no question that the Zune has encountered problems as it struggles to cut into the iPod's dominance. While the Zune marketing department would obviously want to sound optimistic about the future of their product and downplay the discontinuation talk, they have at least outlined some possible ways to expand the Zune's visibility, including delivering the Zune music service to the company's XBox 360 consoles.

Expansion would also mean developing software for non-Windows-based phones, and possible apps for competitors like Apple and Google. "We would be thinking about nailing experiences in our own platforms concurrently with, if not before we're thinking about going beyond that," said Sohn.

In other news, if you think nothing says "I love you" on Valentine's Day like a Zune, the Zune Originals store is offering free laser engraving and a Valentine's Collection of designs between January 15th to February 14th. Plus, the 120GB Zune will be offered in the color red to celebrate the Hallmark holiday.

Related Stories:

• Is the Zune About To Become Extinct?
• Microsoft Adds More Wi-Fi Options, Bigger Hard Drives For Zune
• At a Glance: Microsoft's New Zune Players

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Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

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