Zune music player’s sales on target, Microsoft says

Microsoft Corp. said initial sales of its Zune music player were in line with the company’s expectations amid reports of waning interest in the device that competes with Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod.

Initial sales “indicate we are on track to meet our internal business projections,” Zune Director Jason Reindorp said.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has refused to disclose sales or projections. A survey by Piper Jaffray & Cos. analyst Eugene Munster shows that few retailers are recommending the device.

Zune went on sale Nov. 14 and since then its rank among Amazon.com’s top-selling MP3 players has declined to 18th from a high of seventh for its most popular black model, Munster said. It ranks even lower for other models, he said.