October 16, 2003

iTunes Announces Windows Offering

PR here; News.com article here; much more at Apple’s site.


The lowdown: same usage rights, still using AAC/Fairplay, bigger catalog including indy labels, tie-ins to AOL’s service, free iTunes jukebox software for Windows that is compatible with the iPod, audiobooks offerings, a new kids account, more exclusive content. Only works for Win XP and 2k.


Quick takes: As much as I hate the growing hegemony of WMA in music services, using AAC and FairPlay might not be a great move for Apple at this point because they’re not well supported. You can only use your AAC/Fairplay files on an iPod, and iPods can’t play WMA files that you download from any of the services. Who wants to put up with those compatibilty issues? How can Apple proclaim proudly, “And iPod is the only portable digital music player that supports the AAC format used by the iTunes Music Store for Mac and Windows.” That’s a bug, not a feature.


Also, what’s with this tie-in to AOL? How will that affect AOL’s MusicNet?

* Filed by Derek Slater at 5:40 pm under Big Ideas
* 2 Comments

2 Responses to “iTunes Announces Windows Offering”

  1. Dave Haxton
    October 17th, 2003 | 12:57 am

    Hi Derek:

    You’re assuming here that Apple is using the Windows site to sell music to “Windows users” – I think if you observe that Apple is a hardware company – it has never released a software product for Windows that does not in some ways encourage adoption of it’s hardware. This is a play to sell more iPod’s arguably the best of breed portable music player (I own both a Creative Nomad and an iPod and there’s really no comparison).

    iTunes itself is a superior product, and tightly woven into the iPod paradigm. Having it available on Windows means that iPod users who happen to own Windows systems will have a much more “native” experience with their iPod – and believe me, it should make a huge difference. I’ve tried to use the current crop of Windows music downloading stuff – and I always go back to iTunes on my Macs, even to load up my Nomad! Try it for yourself – I know there’s an Apple Store in Cambridge (it’s where I got my iPod)!

    Jobs might be crazy – like a fox… Apple doesn’t make any real $$$ off music sales, but they sure can turn a quick buck or two on iPods.

    Be well,
    Dave H.

  2. Joe
    October 17th, 2003 | 6:48 pm

    so many “features” these days are bugs…