Microsoft Readies iPod/iTunes Competitor

Ending considerably speculation, it was revealed today that Microsoft are indeed readying competitors to both Apple's iPod media player and iTunes music service. Naturally, this service will likely center around Microsoft's Windows Media Audio file format, with some flavor of digital rights management.

And so we consumers must prepare for battle. Which will win? Microsoft's awe-inspiring OS market dominance, or Apple's music player/music store dominance? The wider variety of PlaysForSure players, or Apple's simplicity? One part of me says that Apple should make their iPods PlaysForSure-compatible, which with one stroke will make their player the only one that can work with any music store. Another part of me is weary at the notion of another war betweeen mutually incompatible proprietary formats. And yet another part of me wonders: what the heck took Microsoft so long?