Microsoft will announce the launch of WindowsMarketPlace.com, a new service which will provide a means for users to "discover a world of products that work with Windows". This is a nice way of saying that it is nothing more special than a comparison shopping tool, which will help users to find information about virtually any software or hardware that works with recent versions of Microsoft Windows.

First impressions are that product descriptions are rather simple and lack the marketing language that might be expected. Microsoft have said that the company does not aim to compete in the comparison shopping market, a segment which traditionally has been covered by firms such as Shopping.com, Bizrate, Yahoo Shopping and MySimon.

Of course not. They don't aim to compete in any market they enter.

haha damn right they dont! the only positive effect of this I suppose is enhanced effort on other comparison sites, in order to remain viable in the comparison market