Microsoft Dismisses Apple's iTunes for Windows

fewnorms writes "Microsoft's general manager for the Windows Digital Media division, Dave Fester, yesterday dismissed the new iTunes for Windows version, saying it was too limited for the average Windows users. Choice quote: "[Apple's music store] ... is a drawback for Windows users, who expect choice in music services, choice in devices, and choice in music from a wide-variety of music services to burn to a CD or put on a portable device." Of course Apple doesn't feel to worried about this, simply stating their products will (and have) lived up to the hype." The points made are all valid- but contradictory to standard Apple product design where simplicity always takes priority over flexibility. Besides, iPod is growing market share, and iTunes will be the best choice for windows users who own it.

Comments

Please remember.

[DAldredge]

Choice to Microsoft is letting you pick from any of THEIR products. They do not use that word as we do.

Re:Please remember.

[Blondie-Wan]

iTunes, the overall jukebox app, works with other players, too. It's only the DRM'ed AAC files one buys from the iTunes Music Store that play only on iPods. There are plenty of reasons to use iTunes (and the iPod, for that matter) that have nothing to do with the iTMS. Both iTunes and the iPod were around a long time, being used by lots of people, before Apple ever even announced the iTMS.

The Microsoft exec's comments are FUDful, as always - "choice"? Giving Windows users iTunes and the iTMS just gives them another choice (or set of choices), rather than taking choices away. Windows users can get iTunes and/or iPod (they don't have to use one to use the other, and don't have to use the iTMS to use either) and use them with other options.

It's true iTunes and the iPod don't play WMA files (DRM'ed or otherwise), but how is that different from other Windows players (software and hardware) not playing AACs (or Ogg, or whatever)? It's also true the iTMS files don't play on players other than iTunes and the iPod, but how is that different from BuyMusic's (or similar services') files not playing in anything except Windows Media Player and DRM WMA-capable portable players? (Ok, there is a bit of difference there, since there's a greater variety of portables that play WMA files, but one might argue none of them are as good as the iPod anyway.) The point is that Apple's "vendor lock-in" for Windows iTunes/iPod customers isn't substantially different, if different at all, from that of most other legit music download outfits for Windows (at least, ones that offer lots of major label major releases). Moreover, iTMS files have far less obnoxious restrictions than most of them.

Fester's comments are just so much FUD, like most public comments by MS officials. I wouldn't trust anything they say any farther than I could comfortably spit an elephant.

Who is Microsoft to talk?

[Txiasaeia]

"...Dave Fester yesterday dismissed the new iTunes for Windows version, saying it was too limited for the average Windows users..."

Um, yeah, this coming from the company that's offering exactly *how* many music downloads?

It seems to me that..

[jvagner]

..MS's path to more "choice" will include more baseline restrictions and DRM.

If Apple can keep things a little simpler, and a little more limited, and offer the flexibility that they do (burning audio copies to CD, etc), as much as we geeks might complain, it's probably easier for the average consumer to grasp.

Sure, I'd love to see a mainstream offering with a huge library selling DRM-less MP3s, but that doesn't seem likely to happen, and it's certainly not going to come from Microsoft.

Cat got your tongue?

[sebi]

Windows users like choice? Then why do most of them use Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and, well, Windows? They generally take what they are fed, right? Microsoft doesn't yet have a solution of their own for legal music downloading as far as I know. So they need some aggressive rhetoric. I was under the impression that the iTunes music store had one of the largest catalogues out there. Does the general user want to use a plethora of services to locate the right song? I don't think so, but I don't work for Microsoft's media division.

Stop wasting your time on lousy software

[dten]

I downloaded iTunes yesterday. Within 5 minutes I had imported my music library, set up all the options I wanted, and I was listening to music. It has a very pleasant interface and includes all the features I want -- nothing more, nothing less.

Who wants crazy flexibility when you don't even use half of the extra options and they just clutter up the user experience? I'm ditching the other jukeboxes I've been suffering with all year and sticking with iTunes. It may even influence me to buy an iPod -- if it works as seamlessly and easily as iTunes, sign me up.

I'm tired of frittering away so much time trying to overcome the learning curves of PC software and trying to get programs to work and play together. I'm not into computers because I'm in love with jerking around in advanced options settings all day long, I'm into computers because of what they can do for me. My job already pays me to spend 10 hrs a day getting computers to work, I don't want to spend the rest of my free time doing the same thing.

Mac stuff works, first time, every time, it does what you expect it to do. I think that just might be worth paying for. I think I'm going to start saving my pennies for a nice little PowerBook.

SONY Should be the Angry One Here

[Nom du Keyboard]

SONY should be the angry party here. They could have owned the iPod market for Windows, and they let their music division shoot down their technology division.

Funny how they still sell so many CD-burners and blank media though, isn't it?

The domination of Apple in the music industry

[SuperKendall]

After watching the presentation Apple gave on the release of the new iTunes features I have to say that everything else doesn't even seem to be coming close to Apple's position of sheer domination.

iTunes is a nice start, but to have it for both platforms AND the best mp3 player on earth AND have every AOL user on the planet instantly be abel to use the ITMS (it uses the credit card from the AOl account) AND have Pepsi do a huge push during the Superbowl to give away 100 million songs (and at the same time having literally millions of people install iTunes in short order) AND having a means for parents scared of lawsuits to provide music for kids (allowance) AND to have thousands of audiobooks and other great content like NPR shows...

Apple has set a goal of 100 million songs downloaded in the first year of iTunes (starting in April). But frankly I think they have set their sights way too low. I think 200 million by next April is not out of the question, and probably really low.

One other benefit that Apple has, is that the musicians themselves are generally rooting for the store. I don't know how much of an effect that will have, if any... but a groundswell of artists demanding to be on ITMS cannot hurt.

I have to say, if I were trying to start up another music store right now I would be quivering - even if I were Microsoft, and none of them are! I have to wonder how long it will be before Microsoft sees the whole industry slipping from them and offers a music store directly screwing over all the partners based on WMP.

I don't understand why Dell is trying to do it's own server and doesn't just cut a deal to install iTunes on all Dell desktops. There's a plan for Gateway - are you listening?

Re:Has anybody noticed...

[.com b4 .storm]

That is probably a hardware/OS problem. Your sound card IRQ is being shared with your video card's IRQ. You can check this by running MSINFO32 --> hardware resources --> conflicts/sharing.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Apple will not sell OS X for PCs.

but you do have choice!

[mabhatter654]

You can run your iTunes on Mac OR Windows...try that with WMA! As long as Apple makes it easy to choose to move your files to something else...say A MAC then you've got plenty of choice...at least more than you get with MS.

Lets see, Airport [wireless + modem] iPod, apple cinema displays...all work with PCs too...but work even better with a mac. When apple REALLY figures this out [and they're starting to!] MS will finally have to pay the piper for abusing their market!

Re:The best choice? Guess again.

[ruiner13]

"I tried iTunes for a day and got frustrated with its limitations."

Exactly what limitations are you referring to, mr. vague? The only limitation I can possibly think of is the use of AAC for the music store files, but those can be easily transcoded into just about any format you want (wav, mp3, even wma by using an intermediary step). I'd hardly consider that a limitation. Yeah, you may lose *a bit* of quality by recompressing, but if you use a high enough recompression quality setting, you can really minimize that to the point it is a non-factor. Care to elaborate on the limitations now? I mean it rips into a multitude of formats (with very high levels of control over compression), it burns to DVD, CD in many different formats (MP3 CD, Audio CD, and Data CD), and has some of the best streaming support I've found in any music player, not to mention the ability to easily share your tunes over a network with no configuration outside of clicking a check box. I think it is a fantastic product, mac or windows, and I give kudos to Apple on a job well done.

Re:Microsoft is scared

[CountBrass]

They should be scared.

August 2002 I bought an iPod. Loved it so a month later I bought a PowerBook, my first ever Mac.

September this year I bought a DP G5.

And I plan to replace my wife's PC with a Mac sometime soon.

Without the iPod I would never have even considered a Mac. Microsoft should be scared.

Re:Oh yeah....

[Graff]

You cannot package music in a format, and sell it for the iPod unless you deal with Apple.

You can't? Last time I looked you could package any music as an mp3, aac, wav, or aiff and the iPod would happily play it without a hitch.