Microsoft chairman Bill Gates shows off the Zune media player to a crowd at a launch party in downtown Seattle November 13, 2006.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft has beaten its goal of shipping over a million Zune digital music players by June, media reported Tuesday.

    The Zune has a 10 percent market share in the hard-disk-based music player category, said Robbie Bach, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division.

    "It's a good start. It's not an overwhelming start. I'm not going to pretend it's some gigantic move," said Bach.

    It took the iPod 14 months to reach 600,000 shipments, but it was much earlier in the game than the Zune, when the market for digital music players wasn't so hot. Apple has likely sold around 25 million iPods over the same time it has taken the Zune to reach its goal, according to financial analysts.

    Microsoft has a lot more work to do with the Zune. Despite a better-than-expected start, it's far behind the iPod both in terms of number of users and popularity.

    The company also has its new iPhone coming out soon, a product Bach indicated Microsoft will not compete directly with a Zune phone.

    Microsoft will continue to work with handset makers to provide software used in different styles of mobile phones, because mobiles are deeply personal devices, said Bach.

    (Agencies)