The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft unveils its wireless answer to iPod: Zune

More Zune socialization... 

For Microsoft, this is about more than just a competitor to the iPod, said Mark Anderson, an independent technology analyst. "They're trying to create a new platform and they're a platform company," he said.

[...]

Microsoft's financial investment in Zune is considerable, and it's not something top executives expect to pay off immediately.

In July, Robbie Bach, president of the company's entertainment and devices division, told financial analysts that the company would spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several years on the media player. That investment pales in comparison with the billions Microsoft spent entering the video-game console business with its Xbox product line.

Source: The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft unveils its wireless answer to iPod: Zune