Microsoft has debuted the holiday race against Apple on the digital media player market. Albeit the Redmond giant has little chances of prevailing in the face-off against the market leader, Microsoft managed to offer a financial incentive for Zune on November 18. Several Zune 3.0 devices, as well as accessories for the digital media player, will be made available with slashed prices.

“Just in time for the holidays: a flash-based device and accessory price cut for the US and Canada. You may have seen some chatter last week about lower priced devices at certain retailers, well, we are happy to 'officially' announce that the lower prices can be found at Zune Originals and all our major retail partners (all prices listed in USD, and are only suggested prices),” revealed Cesar Menendez, from the Zune team.

In this context, Zune 4Gb will drop from $129.99, no less than $30 down to just $99.99. At the same time, Zune 8GB gets a $10 discount, and will be available for $139.99 instead of $149.99. The last version of the device that will get a new price tag is Zune 16GB, a reduction of $20, from $199.99 to $179.99. Microsoft is also slashing the prices for Car Pack ($69.99), Home/AV Pack (just $59.99), and the Dock Pack ($39.99).

Of course, the Zune price cuts are directed at Apple, but, in the end,the rival from Cupertino will also have to deal with the repercussions of the worldwide financial crisis. Microsoft is simply forcing Zune to a jump-start, by increasing the device's appeal in an economy where consumers are likely to cut their spending for the 2009 holiday season.

Microsoft has also debuted a new TV video advertisement for the Zune 3.0, which you will find embedded at the bottom of this article. “The TV spot, besides showcasing the Zune software and mixview, certainly gave me a new appreciation for Afrika Bambaataa! You can also catch the spot this week, during NFL games (next Sunday and Monday), and then on MTV, MTV2, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and other networks,” Menendez added.