(updates with details from Microsoft transcript) 

What kind of company would decide to compete at this stage with the iPod, Apple Computer’s category-defining music and media player?

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has the answer:

“It’s probably fair to say that there is no other company, for better and for worse, that would be attempting to get into that business at this time,” Ballmer said of his company’s forthcoming “Zune” media player during a briefing for hundreds of investors and reporters at Microsoft’s annual Financial Analysts Meeting on Thursday. 

“Nobody else has the optimism, nobody else has the financial resources and you might say nobody else may have the…”

Ballmer’s voice trailed off as he pointed at his head but didn’t finish his thought.

Was the last part of that sentence going to be 1. brains 2. is crazy enough 3. (fill in the blank). It’s anybody’s guess. A transcript of his comments eventually will be available here. Let’s see how or whether Microsoft’s transcriber finishes Steve’s sentence.

“Well, let me just leave it at that (Laughter),” Ballmer said, according to the transcript.

We’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

And read more about Zune in this Reuters story by Daisuke Wakabayashi.