Several days ago, a bunch of news outlets reported a finding of the technology research group ABI Research--that 58% of iPod users would consider switching to Microsoft's new Zune mp3 player (or more accurately, WMA player).

I didn't report it, because it was so obviously BS.

Many questioned it, but nobody could provide any hard refutation, because very few people were willing to pay ABI Research the $3,000 it would take to get the full text of the study report.

Apparently AOL bloggers have a little more cash to work with than the average blogger (duh), because AOL's bloggingstocks reports ABI's methodology as follows:

...the number was reached by showing participants a picture of the Zune media player and then "other competitive media players" and being asked if they would pick the Zune. The specific mention of an iPod is not in the language.

That's right--nobody was actually asked if they would abandon the iPod. There was no discussion of features. All that it really shows is that Microsoft's product doesn't look like crap on the surface, at least to 58% of iPod users.

Perhaps an alternate headline should have been:

42% of iPod users think Zune looks like crap