
Microsoft’s Zune music player looks a lot like an iPod, acts a lot like an iPod and will cost about the same as an iPod. The software giant said Thursday that it will charge $249.99 for the device, signaling that it isn’t planning to spark a major price war to gain market share. The company is hoping to gain an edge by promoting two features Apple doesn’t offer on its iPod: a subscription music service, and the ability to share music with other Zune users through a wireless connection.