Investors Not So Attuned to Zune Debut

Microsoft (MSFT Quote) launched its rival portable music player on Tuesday, the Zune, throwing down a glove to the reigning digital-music king, Apple (AAPL Quote).

But after weeks of hype, the debut had little effect on either company's shares. Microsoft dipped 16 cents in Tuesday trading to $29.09, and Apple, meanwhile, was off 13 cents to $84.22.

The Redmond giant is selling the 30-gigabyte device for $249 in three colors: black, white and brown. Like Apple, Microsoft touts its own music store, the Zune marketplace, where music shoppers can download songs a la carte, a la Apple, or for $14.99, get a monthly subscription for unlimited music, as long as the customer keeps paying the fee. ...