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Microsoft's Take on iTunes for Windows

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the hello-mr-kettle-meet-mr-pot dept.

Skruffy writes "The Register has an amusing article about Microsoft's reaction to the launch of Apple's iTunes software on Windows. It seems that Microsoft is very keen to warn its users of the dangers of using a service that would restrict them from accessing music from other sources... Oh the irony."

8 of 588 comments (clear)

  1. which means they see it as a threat? by westcourt_monk · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I think MS might be worried here. Apple has product placement now and it has the cool factor. MS will have a hard time breaking into the market for sure now. Their stance on DRM makes their AAC criticism look foolish. Do they not have a public relations office?

    If Apple hits the 10 million mark by Christmas I will be impressed, MS will be scared, and the RIAA might start to be quiet.. maybe.

    --
    I am going to hell and I am going to take all of you with me.
    1. Re:which means they see it as a threat? by Luscious868 · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I think MS might be worried here.

      Two things. First, you're completely right. Anytime Microsoft or any Microsoft employee talks about "choice" with a straight face then there is definitely something going on.

      Second, they should be worried. I downloaded iTunes when it was released and immediately started using it as my main media player / jukebox. After buying some tracks from the iTMS I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new 40 GB iPod from the Apple store. Granted I had wanted to buy some kind of MP3 player for a while but I was heavily leaning toward one of the 128 or 256 MB flash players. I had absolutely no intention of buying a hard drive based MP3 player and definitely nothing as expensive as even the 10 GB iPod. After using iTunes and the iTMS and reading about how great people thought the iPod was I decided to go with the iPod. I had it shipped overnight and spent the entire weekend ripping my CD collection to MP3 in iTunes and playing around with the iPod. After a few days I can say that I am thoroughly impressed with both products and my satisfaction with them will result in having to take a serious look at a Mac the next time I buy a computer.

      The iPod, while expensive, is such a great product. I can take my whole music collection with me where everywhere I go. The batter lasts 7 - 8 hours, it can be charged to 80% capacity in an hour (it takes about 4 for 100%) and it's small enough to fit comfortably in my pocket. The user interface makes it easy to interact with. It comes with a dock that has a line out jack so I can hook it into my stereo or take it with me to a friends and hook it into their equipment. With the car adaptor kit I can use it in my car.

      The iPod also acts as a portable hard drive and a mini PDA. Setting the it up as a portable hard drive takes one click in iTunes. I had to buy the USB adaptor and a cable but now I can use the iPod to transfer files between my PC at work and my computer at home. You can also export your contact and appointment information from Outlook and store it in the iPod. It's even easier if you have a Mac as iSync can automatically sync your contact and calendar information for you.

      I'm thrilled to death with the iTunes / iPod combo and I don't recall ever feeling this way about anything Microsoft has produced. So, to summarize, I think Microsoft is scared and they very well should be. I'm a happy Apple customer who will consider buying other Apple products in the future. Before iTunes and the iPod I wouldn't have even considered buying a Mac, or anything else produced by Apple.

      Microsoft won't be able to one up Apple anytime soon by bundeling their Music Store / Jukebox with the next version of Windows because Longhorn is still such a long way off. That means that Microsoft is going to actually have to compete with Apple on the merits of it's own software and DRM format. That's going to be increadibly hard to do.

  2. Re:What I'm afraid of ... by Lane.exe · · Score: 3, Interesting
    But Napster 2 sucks. There was a review on /. the other day, and the poor reviewer couldn't get his machine to stop crashing when he attempted to open it. Plus, Windoze users seem to have taken to iTunes like a duck to water (my girlfriend is probably buying music right now). iTunes is here to stay, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had a monopoly on pay-for-play services within a year.

    --
    IAALS.
  3. Feds, states question XP's music link by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    In related news:

    Federal and state regulators have voiced concern that a feature in Windows XP that involves online music purchasing may violate terms of Microsoft's antitrust settlement.

    The issue surfaced in a court-mandated briefing filed jointly by Microsoft and federal and state regulators. The compliance update says there are ongoing discussions over the "Shop for Music Online" feature in the operating system.

    "Plaintiffs are concerned that the feature invokes Microsoft's Internet Explorer, rather than the user's chosen default browser, in a manner that may be inconsistent" with the settlement, according to the filing.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  4. BuyTunes by n0wak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I tried to buy, er, tunes on buytunes.com once, but all I got was:

    Thank you for visiting BuyMusic.com.

    In order to take full advantage of BuyMusic.com's offerings you must be on a Windows Operating System using Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher.

    All for using Firebird. News flash: Microsoft browser monopoly too restrictive. Asses.

  5. iTunes can't play WMA by mblase · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Microsoft's #1 complaint, although unspoken, is that while iTunes can play downloaded MP3s, it can't play the DRM'ed WMA files that Microsoft promotes. In that sense, it's at odds with Microsoft's designs. Songs downloaded from iTMS only play on iTunes and iPod players, while WMA songs downloaded from other legal services can't and probably never will.

    In that sense, it's iTMS vs. every other MS-sponsored service, and iPods vs. every other MS-sponsored player. However, Apple hasn't closed the format. It's just as possible for other download services and MP3 player manufacturers to support AAC just like iTMS and the iPod do. They simply don't at this time.

  6. Re:Is There an Easy Way to Window Shop at I-Tunes? by schmink182 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I, for one, agree with you that it would be nice to know what you're getting into before downloading. I'm not sure why everyone is so up-in-arms about letting you see what the selection is, but it seems like a legitimate complaint. If you have a very specific taste in music, for example, it could just be a waste of time downloading and installing iTunes just to uninstall it a few minutes later.

  7. Re:OK... by Technician · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Both Apple and MS are using something other than industry standard MP3's making both incompatible with both my car and my portable. I guess I'm stuck with the shiny silver disks and my favorite ripping program.

    Too bad the industry doesn't get it that it is possible to sell high quality MP3's from a reliable quality source and compete with free. The bottled water industry gets it. They compete well against tap water. The music industry doesn't get it. Bottled water is drinkable out of the bottle or in your favorite glass. DRM files are not playable in my car or my portable player. Sombody please release a quality compatable & reliable pure source.

    --
    The truth shall set you free!