Microsoft, displeased with hardware partners Creative Technology Ltd. and Dell Inc. that made players using Microsoft's Windows Media software, talked about building its own device, according to an e-mail exchange between Windows chief Jim Allchin and media software executive Amir Majidimehr. The correspondence, introduced into evidence in a civil antitrust trial against Microsoft in Des Moines, Iowa, was made public today.

Allchin, who started the exchange in an e-mail entitled ``sucking on media players,'' also suggested he talk to Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs to get the iPod to work with Microsoft's media software for fear the iPod would ``drive people away from Windows Media Player.'' Microsoft introduced its Zune music player in November.

``My goodness it's terrible,'' Allchin wrote about one of Creative's devices. ``What I don't understand though is I was told the new Creative Labs device would be comparable to Apple. That is so not the case.''

Majidimehr replied ``Now you feel our pain.'' He said Microsoft was providing cash incentives to get the partners to improve devices. If that doesn't work ``it is time for us to roll up our sleeves and do our own hardware,'' he wrote.

[via  BloomBerg ]

Contents of the Iowa case e-mails can be found here and here.