Microsoft released its Zune player today and they have done a good job of creating lots of buzz around the event (although when you're a huge company chasing a hot product, you don't have to be a genius to create a stir).  They planned a series of launch parties around the nation (Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, New York and Los Angeles), they released press, they created various blogs (employee Bill Wittress, employee David Caulton, employee Richard Winn, ZuneInsider.com, etc.) and television commercials, they launched a website entitled ComingZune.com, and there are a ton of reviews on the Internet to coincide with the release.  Here are links to some of them:

If you are expecting me to present my opinion on one product versus another, I must apologize in advance (but I will point you in the direction of ZuneNewsSite.com).  I'll refrain from the bell-and-whistle war, as the geeks do a much better job of it than I ever could.  

I'm much more interested in the marketing and adoption war that will take place.  Not many companies would enjoy going toe-to-toe with Microsoft, but it's pretty obvious that Apple has the upper-hand here.  The iPod is not just a cool little gadget.  It has reached historic levels of adoption, along with air, fire, food, water, shelter, and coffee.  At the mall this weekend, I snapped a picture of an iPod accessory vending machine (right) at Macy's.  These can be found in many locations, including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.  Speaking of air travel, another story broke today about several airlines' plans to make their seats iPod-friendly (where movies stored on video iPods can be viewed on the seatback screen in front of each passenger and devices can be easily recharged during flight).  I bet some consumers will make airline choices based on that service.

Technologists and reviewers often like to speculate that product positioning boils down to bells and whistles.  I disagree with their rhetoric.  Let's not underestimate the power of product marketing and brand management in the adoption race.  iPods are easy to find, easy to use, easy to accessorize, easy to charge, easy to integrate, and backed by the widely-prevalent iTunes application.  In order for Zune to gain traction, Microsoft will not only have to create a great product, but their marketing train will have to gain ground on the extremely powerful iTunes locomotive.