In a bid to compete with Apple's iPod, software and internet giant Microsoft has launched a social networking site named Zune Social, alongside three new models of its Zune media player.Launching first in beta, the community website is designed to give people a place to express their taste in music, their knowledge and their experiences with others.
It will allow users to create a Zune Card, which is automatically updated to show the music they have been listening to on their Zune or with Zune software on their computer.
Other members of the social networking community can then play samples of their songs directly from a Zune Card or can link to a marketplace where they can buy or download the music.
As well as introducing the Zune Social, Microsoft has revamped the players to include a touch sensitive panel so that users can flick through their selection of songs.
In addition, the players will come with a wireless sync which allows Zune devices to automatically sync over the device owner's home wireless network when it is connected to an AC adaptor.
Rather than having to buy the new software features, existing users will automatically receive them when they are released in mid-November.
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates commented: "Twenty years ago we bet the company on an integrated productivity suite of word processing, spreadsheets and presentations and we changed the way people work.
"Today we're making big bets on games, music, video and connecting these entertainment experiences to help change the way people play."
