Zune MP3 Player Will Be Wirelessly Connected to PC and Xbox 360

It seems that Zune’s wireless connection, which allows users to share songs, photos and even short videos, is not enough for Bill Gates. On Tuesday he said that Zune will soon be integrated with other platforms, including of course the up-coming Windows Vista and the Xbox 360 gaming console.

"We will take it even further or connecting the Zune to the Windows PC or Xbox," he said during the company's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday. "There is a lot more coming there."

Gates said that Zune's wireless connectivity is just one way Microsoft is changing how people enjoy and share various multimedia. "We're changing entertainment from something you do in isolation to connected entertainment," he said.

Zune players cost US $249.99, the same amount as Apple Computer Inc.'s current generation of video iPods. Like iPods, the Zune has 30G bytes of storage, plays videos and music and can display photos. But Zune players also have wireless connectivity and an FM receiver, two features that differentiate them from iPods. Microsoft hopes these features will help it win market share against Apple's tremendously successful media player.

Zune players are now available in more than 30,000 retail outlets in the U.S. Zune Marketplace -- an online music purchasing and download service through which users can buy monthly subscriptions or individual songs or videos -- is also now available.

But don't expect to use Zune with Windows Media Player 11. A Microsoft representative confirmed that the new program isn't designed to work with the Zune device. WMP 11 also will not be included in the Zune Marketplace.