Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has rubbished claims that Microsoft's Zune media player will pose a serious threat to the iPod's market dominance.

Jobs dismissed the wireless music sharing technology that Microsoft is touting as a major selling point of Zune, which is due to ship in the US by Christmas.

"It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left," Jobs told Newsweek.

"You're much better off taking one of your earbuds out and putting it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable."

Asked whether he was worried that Microsoft's marketing clout behind the Zune might be able to eclipse Apple's iPod, Jobs stated simply: "In a word. No."