Microsoft’s new Zune player means death to the “Playsforsure” platform for the delivery of music services. CNet has a go at explaining Microsoft’s bipolar behavior and Steve Balmer speaks in riddles:

“We do need a more consistent experience,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a January interview. “That doesn’t mean it’s bad to have a variety of devices. I think that’s great. But there are some things we need to make sure are more consistently delivered across the portable devices.”

What Balmer is saying is that it is okay to be consistent with inconsistency, but it is obvious to everyone other than Microsoft that they will drop or more likely degrade support for their partners and place the emphasis on their own player and music service.

Michael Gartenburg over at Jupiter puts it more bluntly:

Early market share, however, isn’t likely to come from disgruntled iPod users looking to switch. The real losers in the short term are likely to be the likes of Creative, iRiver and other former partners that have failed to deliver to market share from Apple and will now find themselves not only competing with Apple but with their former partners from Redmond. More on this in the days ahead.

This should be an interesting battle as Microsoft looks to be as cool as Apple. Microsoft being cool however is like your 55 year old uncle buying that black Z28 Camaro and that hairpiece that he always wanted.

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