SAN FRANCISCO--If someone is trying to understand where Microsoft is headed with its services push, they might want to start by checking out the iPod.
Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's newly appointed services guru, pointed to Apple Computer's iconic music player as a "perfect example" of a product that marries hardware, software and services. He also points to Research In Motion's BlackBerry, which brings together an e-mail device, server-based software and wireless data service.
In both cases, people don't think about the individual pieces of the package, he said. They just think about the tasks they want to do, such as listening to their music or getting e-mail on the go.
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