The king of all media?

BusinessWeek Online takes a look at Microsoft's struggle to catch up to Apple in the world of entertainment. With the iPod and iTunes already so far ahead in the arena of digital music, Redmond seems to betting on video as their hedge against total digital domination.

Jobs has said repeatedly that he sees no use for watching anything on a tiny screen, but Gates thinks that what the world is crying out for (if not now, than soon) is total portable entertainment choices, like Creative's Zen Portable Media Center that houses room for 85 hours of movies (using Microsoft's proprietary Windows Media format) or 9,000 songs (again with the Windows Media) plus a 3.8" color backlit screen, stereo speakers a battery that we presume lasts a couple of hours, at least.

If people are all hot and bothered to stick DVD players and flat screens in their cars, will they also want to wander around carrying slim black bricks that hold 85 hours of Will & Grace reruns? Or is the iPod already the perfect portable device?

Time--and a hell of a lot of marketing and engineering dollars--will tell.