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Vista - iPod Killer?

JMB wrote us with a dire warning, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News. Apple is cautioning its Windows-using iTunes customers to steer clear of Vista until the next iTunes update. The reason for this is a bit puzzling. Apparently, if you try to 'safely remove' your iPod from a Vista-installed PC, there's a chance you may corrupt the little music player. They also claim that songs may not play, and contacts may not sync with the device. Apple went so far as to release a detailed support document on the subject, which assures users that a new Vista-compatible version of the software will be available in a few weeks. Is this just some very creative FUD? If it is not who do you think is 'at fault' here, Microsoft or Apple?

14 of 557 comments (clear)

  1. DOS isn't done until Lotus doesn't run? by Xenographic · · Score: -1, Troll

    Considering it worked well enough in XP, I'm wondering exactly what they managed to screw up with USB handling...

    My opinion, unencumbered by fact, gives it a 99% chance of being Microsoft's fault and a 30/70 on whether it's a bug or an intentional screwup to help their turd, Zune (brown IS the most popular color...). Yeah, that probably doesn't seem very fair, but after all the dirty bastard tricks Microsoft has pulled in the past, I honestly don't think that little things like legality matter to them at all.

    To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that no one from Microsoft has ever ended up in prison. Well, not *that* surprised, given the way the law works for international corporations, but...

  2. Apple's fault by gsn · · Score: 0, Troll

    Well
    it
    might
    be
    because
    iTunes
    sucks

    I tried it so I could listen to some of the iTunes shares my housemates have but it kept crashing periodically and in the end I still prefer winamp's look and feel.

    --
    Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
  3. If only... by dioscaido · · Score: 1, Troll

    ... Microsoft gave some sort of preview of the OS for 3rd parties to test and update their applications. Maybe then Apple could have done something about it. I blame Microsoft.

  4. Re:Apple is spreading FUD by Zephiria · · Score: 0, Troll

    I love it.. Why is this guy being moderated as flamebait?
    He's just pointing out his experiences with the product in question.
    Stupid MS haters and apple fanboys :/

  5. Because things should work. iTunes = Vista killer. by twitter · · Score: 0, Troll

    Everytime there's an OS upgrade your peripherals often don't work until the drivers etc are upgraded as well. What's so damn sinister about that?!

    It's amazing, but you can "upgrade" a kernel without breaking the drivers and device support. OSS/ALSA compatiblity is a case in point. The obsolescence of hardware in the M$ world is completely artificial and is one of the biggest betrayals of non free software.

    In any case, this is detrimental to M$ regardless of who's fault it is. If M$ did it on purpose, they are crazy. iPod users wouldn't use Zune if M$ gave them away, so iTunes damage will guide millions of wealthy and influential buyers away from M$ right when they need such "enthusiast" to say nice things about Vista.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  6. Apple, Ipod, Windoofs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Who cares, my generic MP3 player and open source OS work just fine.

  7. Re:It's apples fault by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    The iPod CAN find files on its own - try using the clickwheel, your thumb, your eyes and your fucking brain.

  8. Re:That "fairly stable api" didn't help Microsoft by ronanbear · · Score: 1, Troll

    Vista breaks iPod support. That's Microsoft's fault not Apples. Either Microsoft deliberately broke iPod support or Vista's hardware support is so bad that it was never tested with some of the most popular hardware out there. The second is more likely.

    Apple will update iTunes but they have every right to let their customers know that Microsoft are responsible. This is another reason not to get Vista (I don't have enough RAM either). I don't like having to rely on manufacturers to update their legacy software if I want to be able to hook up my printers, scanner, wireless adapter etc.

    Yes I've had similar problems on Apple too where manufacturers didn't update software but that was the intel switch combined with a mess of a driver not an OS update.

    Recent iPods are more complex from a driver point of view because they use a HFS filesystem and then use a driver so that Windows can read iPods as FAT drives - that doesn't explain why the Zune wasn't initially compatible though.

    --
    the more they over-think the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the pipe
  9. Re:Tagged appleduh by aichpvee · · Score: -1, Troll

    People who buy iPod already have too much money and have shown a willingness to spend that money on overpriced crap. Same for people who buy windows. I'm pretty sure that anyone who falls into BOTH of those categories will probably be willing to just buy a new iPod. Or hell, they'll buy a Zune. Remember, we're not really talking about humans here, we're talking about sheep.

    --
    The Farewell Tour II
  10. Re:Dont' be a dumbass. by scot4875 · · Score: -1, Troll

    I'd mod, but there's no option for "-1, whiney Mac fanboy who doesn't understand exaggeration"

    The funny thing is that even though your entire post is technically correct, you're still wrong.

    --Jeremy

    --
    Jesus was a liberal
  11. Re:Tagged appleduh by Tape+Operator · · Score: -1, Troll

    Being poor must really suck. How is it that you can even afford to access the internet?

  12. Yeah, like XP took over the market by twitter · · Score: 0, Troll

    I'll turn that one on it's head:

    make sure that your #1 money making product actually worked on a new operating system that was likely to gain significant market share in a very short time.

    How about the first mover advantage? You think people are going to rush out and buy software that breaks their favorite toy? No, M$ just sealed the deal for the huge iPod owning population - Vista will wait, and it might be time to check out a Mac or Linux. Not working with the most popular music player on the market is a bad move.

    It took XP four long years to have more desktops than previous M$ OS. Vista is not going to come close and could undo M$.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  13. where's the incentive to buy Vista? by twitter · · Score: 0, Troll

    most people upon learning vista will break their iPod, will just stick with their current OS until the issue is fixed. where's the incentive to spend a lot of money on a mac, or switch to linux?

    So, they will then magically jump to the expensive option that had to be "fixed"? Dream on, Steve-o.

    You can buy a mac for less than a PC and you don't have to buy anything to get GNU/Linux, and both have more going for them than Vista. A low end mini costs about $500. GNU/Linux costs nothing and runs on the user's current hardware. Both have performance, interfaces and programs that blow a Vista machine out of the water. "Vista premium" computers are being advertised for $15,000! A cheap-o vista computer is going to be a downgrade from what most people already have.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  14. Just like the old days by Chomp · · Score: 0, Troll

    Vista ain't done until Apple won't run!