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Strategies & Market Trends : Stock Watcher's Thread / Pix of the Week (POW) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stock Watcher who wrote (15765)	9/27/1999 2:01:00 PM
From: Toni Wheeler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 52051

here's another ... and, funny, they mention the betamax/VHS battle just as you did the other day: -gg- Microsoft, Cirrus Unveil Web-Music Player Technology Redmond, Washington, Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, said Cirrus Logic Inc. will unveil an audio chip next month designed to work with Microsoft software in portable music devices, a bid to grab a bigger share of the fast-growing online music business. Shares of MP3.com Inc., which pioneered the technology to download CD-quality music from the web and competes with Microsoft, fell 4 to 40 9/16 in early afternoon trading. Earlier, it touched 38 1/2. Cirrus rose 1 1/2 to 11 5/8. Microsoft and Cirrus are seeking to win over customers in the burgeoning business of selling music online by developing the next line of portable devices that can download and play music from the Internet. Estimates of the growth potential in that market vary, from $147 million to $1.1 billion by 2003. Microsoft in April launched its Windows Media Audio software to compete with MP3.com and RealNetworks Inc. in the market for music downloading software. ``We aim to capture a significant percentage of the Internet audio device installed base in the next 12 months,' said Matthew Perry, general manager of Cirrus's imbedded processor division. Much in the way Betamax and VHS formats competed in video tape market, Microsoft and MP3.com are working to advance their music downloading technology in the hopes that each can make its format the standard for the business. Stores by Christmas Microsoft and Cirrus, the largest supplier of audio computer chips, said the new chips and software will be used in a new line of portable audio devices that will be on store shelves in time for the holiday season. ``You're going to see an explosion in the number and choice of portable audio devices,' said Kevin Unangst, lead product manager for Windows Audio Media. MP3.com pioneered the Internet music distribution, creating the technology to allow consumers to download CD-quality music onto their PC or portable device, often for free, from a library of more than 100,000 songs from about 18,000 artists. MP3 is a technological format for compressing huge data files, like songs, into manageable chunks that can be transmitted over computer networks. MP3.com shares are up more than 42 percent from its initial public offering price as investors bet that consumers will increasingly buy music that can be directly downloaded from the Web rather than by purchasing compact discs. Sony Corp., a consumer-electronics giant and one of the world's five biggest music companies, on Friday unveiled a portable music device that plays the music found on MP3.com's Web site. The company has also said it will partner with Microsoft in the distribution of music and videos over the Internet. Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. introduced the first portable audio player, the Rio, in 1998, and has sold more than 250,000 units, Hambrecht & Quist Inc. estimates. Microsoft shares rose 1 3/16 to 92 1/8 in early afternoon trading. Sony shares rose 1 7/16 to 150 3/8. Sep/27/1999 13:03 For more stories from Bloomberg News, click here. (C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P. Any redistribution of Bloomberg content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Bloomberg L.P. Any reference to the material must be properly attributed to Bloomberg News. The information herein was obtained from sources which Bloomberg L.P. and its suppliers believe reliable, but they do not guarantee its accuracy. Neither the information, nor any opinion expressed, constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any securities or commodities.(C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P. BLOOMBERG, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Financial Markets, Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg News Radio are trademarks, tradenames and service marks of Bloomberg L.P.