Microsoft Unhappy With HP's iTunes Decision

rbrandis writes "The general manager of Microsoft's Windows digital media division David Fester has suggested that iTunes' emerging dominance would be bad for consumers, because it would limit them to the iPod, as opposed to limiting them to Microsoft based products. In a moment of what must have been an attempt at ironic humor he said, 'Windows is about choice - you can mix and match software and music player stuff. We believe you should have the same choice when it comes to music services.'"

Comments

Re:Convicted Monopoly

[geekee]

" One Platform: x86"

If by one platform, you mean 4 processor companies, countless motherboard makers, etc. then yes. With Apple you get 1 motherboard maker, Apple, in boxes made by one company, Apple. If you don't see the difference..., well lets just leave it at that. "One Version: whatever they haven't killed updates and support for, today."

The only reason win98 support was threatened was due to Sun lawsuits over Java, and their implications for MS legally selling win98, so blame sun if you don't like MS retiring a 5 year old os. Sure MS is upset they're not seeing a piece of the business, but that doesn't mean their point isn't valid. Apple and Sun both do it. They get you hooked on their OS, and then your stuck buying their hardware.

Re:Apple Choice vs. Microsoft "Choice"

[ps_inkling]

And Apple, for all their ills as far as co-opting technology in ways distressingly similar to Microsoft, has never been known to utterly decimate the competition or actively belittle or disparage them.

Ask independent dealers.

Since the opening of the company-owned stores, the smaller distributers of Apple products have slowly been squeezed out of the market. Required minimum orders have increased, margins have decreased, and many small shops have either closed or consolidated.

I cannot find the article, but Apple has used the Macintosh registration process to harvest e-mail addresses in order to lure customers who bought their Macintosh from a distributer/dealer to purchase accessories from the Apple store at a discount to the dealer price.

As an Apple dealer, I wouldn't wait too long to sell the business. Apple will continue to squeeze all of the dealers out of the market, concentrating on locations where an Apple store is already present.