Microsoft en Cirrus (ooit bekend van z'n videochips) zijn kameraden geworden en gaan een audio chip ontwikkelen voor gebruik in portable MP3 players:
Microsoft announced today an alliance with chip-manufacturer Cirrus Logic to produce a new audio chip to work with portable audio devices that will utilize Microsoft software. Available as soon as next month, the portable device will have built-in support for Windows Media Technologies 4 and will try to grab a share of the burgeoning portable MP3 market, which has been estimated to grow to anywhere from $150 million to $1.1 billion in the next four years. The portable MP3 players will feature the Maverick audio chip, and will be especially competitive because Cirrus is offering licensing to their OEMs at no additional cost.
