First we waited in great anticipation for Apple's iPhone -- and are still intrigued by it (even with the Cisco heat), but then we never really got too revved up about the idea of the Zune phone ... (get the scoop here. Here's what Microsoft's home town paper had to say).

In fact, wonder if anyone did even think of the idea -- and then no less get excited about it -- a Zune phone?  Certainly lacks the coolness factor from a product naming perspective -- the "Zunephone" perhaps?.)

So what have we now? Another face-off between Microsoft and Apple -- this time over music playing cell phones.

Now of course this is another one of those "product to be" announcements -- not about a real product that can be shipped and purchased today (or at least very soon), but one that will see the light of day sometime in the future.

(Anyone out there want to resurrect the term "vaporware"?)

Now, I'm not saying that these might not be real products after all, but let me know when they're available, OK?