Darius Wey
10-25-2006, 05:19 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://playlistmag.com/news/2006/10/20/zuneipod/index.php?lsrc=mwrss' target='_blank'>http://playlistmag.com/news/2006/10/20/zuneipod/index.php?lsrc=mwrss</a><br /><br /></div><span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt"><span style="font-style: italic;">"iPod killers have come and gone, but even Apple acknowledges that its popular multimedia player is going to face some stiff competition from Microsoft’s Zune this holiday season. And when the $249 device </span><a href="http://playlistmag.com/news/2006/09/14/zune/index.php" style="font-style: italic;">debuts next month</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, it figures to draw attention not just from consumers, but from companies that have enjoyed a booming business making accessories and add-ons for the iPod."</span><br /><br />Accessories have always played a huge part in the digital media industry - even more so over the past few years following the success of the iPod. A number of accessory makers have leveraged the power and portability of the iPod and extended the music listening experience to the gym, cars, and even shoes. With the Zune set to be released next month, there's a new window of opportunity for said makers to expand even further. And we're already seeing that. A good handful of them have already partnered with Microsoft and promised to deliver third-party accessories, so the industry is about to get a whole lot more bigger.</span>