There are extremely faint signs of intelligent life in Redmond, Wash. Last month, The Browser pointed out that a rumored $399 pricetag for its portable music player was way too expensive. Now Microsoft is telling retailers that the Zune will sell for $299, the same price as a comparable iPod model, according to technology news website Twice.com.

But in addition to cutting the price, Twice says, Microsoft is also cutting back on the Zune's Wi-Fi capabilities. Apparently, Zune users won't be able to buy songs on the go. Instead, they'll have to dock their players and buy songs at their PCs -- just like iPod users do with Apple's iTunes Music Store.

By slashing the price and cutting out key differentiating features, it sounds like Microsoft's just rolling out a me-too music player -- a strategy that sure isn't paying off for Apple rivals like Creative and iRiver. Our advice? If you're sick of iPods, try SanDisk's Lil' Monsta. It may not have Wi-Fi, but it's cheaper, more expandable, and works with a variety of online music stores.