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Microsoft Offers iPod Prizes for Search in Australia

by , 4:45 PM EDT, July 2nd, 2008

Microsoft is offering iPod nanos, shuffles, and touches as prizes to promote their Live Search in Australia, according to the Brisbane Times on Wednesday. Microsoft is working through a joint venture in Australia with Nine Network, ninemsn, for Internet search.

Microsoft said that using a competitor's products in this way is frowned upon. However, the Zune is not available in Australia. "Where we don't have a great product or we don't have a product at all there's no internal edict that says we're not allowed to use competitor products," a Microsoft source said.

The company is also is offering large discounts on Windows Mobile-based smartphone so keep staff from buying iPhones, the Brisbane Times reported.

Microsoft has been working hard to compete against Google's search and its corresponding revenue stream. Ninemsn's head of Live Search, Alex Parsons, said "I'm not going to sit here and tell you we're going to win this in the next year or two years -- that's not my objective."

Microsoft appears to be relegated to taking the long view. Mr. Parson's compared Google to Hoover vacuum cleaners. "I read about when Hoover was vacuum cleaners -- I'd like to see what sort of market share Hoover has now against Dyson and some of the German brands," he said.

Compared to last year, Google searches grew 14 percent in Australia while MS Live Search grew 11 percent. MS may need need to be very patient -- while they keep giving away iPods.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:jimothy Posts: 596 Joined: 04 Jun 2004
Subject: Great products

"Where we don't have a great product..."

You don't have a great music product in the United States, either.

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Fine journalism...
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Thank you for your input
View Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Great products...
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: to "Thank you for your input"
View Name:Guest
Subject: What a marketing strategy!!!
View Name:Guest
Subject: ?
View Name:Guest
Subject: they do
Close Name:Terrin Posts: 377 Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Subject:

Yes, except there 1) are very few accessories for it, 2) you can't use it as a hard drive, 3) you can't play video on your TV with it, 4) you can't view photos on your TV with it, 5) there is no alarm clock, and 6) there are no games. Moreover the touted squirting feature is a pain as the music industry doesn't allow Microsoft to squirt half the songs out there. Finally, you can surf the internet with an iPod Touch ( for the same price as some Zunes) and run all kinds of other applications. Those are just the things I can think of. OK, one more reason: Microsoft screwed the first version of the Zune up so bad, it doesn't deserve a second chance.


Quote
Guest wrote:
BS, the Zune has all the capabilities of an IPod classic, at the same price, with a bigger, clearer screen and built in fm radio, all at the same price.

Close Name:LaurieF -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 3519 Joined: 15 Jun 2001
Subject:

Please don't feed the trolls.

Fortunately there's plenty of room in the world even for Zune fans. Personally I preferred Zork. Much more fun.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Whatever...
Close Name:LaurieF -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 3519 Joined: 15 Jun 2001
Subject:

There's room for Rino fans as well.

"Rino? Not Rino, dummy. It's Rio. Rio dee Genero."

Close Name:jimothy Posts: 596 Joined: 04 Jun 2004
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Yo jimothy, I think you misunderstood what the MS source meant. He said "where WE don't have a great product or we don't have a product at all...", not "where THERE'S NO great product..." It means that "MS should consider selling its products in Australia." It's as simple as that. I'm not a MS fan (especially since they stop selling XP to force us to use Vista), but I think we should read articles carefully before writing reviews. Thanks for consideration.


Uh, no, it doesn't mean that at all. It means exactly what he said: Where they don't have a great product to sell, they're free to use a competitor's product. Surely there are some people inside and outside of Microsoft that believe they should sell the Zune in Australia, but that doesn't come from that quote at all.

I understood the quote entirely, and pointed out (part tongue-in-cheek) that Microsoft doesn't have a great music product in the United States either.

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