iTMS vs. MSN Music: Round One

Fresh from their spat with RealNetworks, Apple has now taken to sparring with Microsoft over MSN Music, Redmond's new competitor to the iTunes Music Store. The best part is how Apple VP of applications Eddie Cue says that the biggest problem with the MSN Music store may be that "its downloaded songs can not play on the iPod." Totally fair criticism, except that the reason MSN Music downloads won't play on the iPod is because Apple has so far resisted Microsoft's entreaties to work together on compatibility. This is going to get ugly.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

If Apple is trying to sell iPods - and they've said that they don't make any money to speak of from music sales - then why not open it up? They have a chance to further entrench their position and instead are leaving themselves (potentially) vulnverable.

Fortunately MSN even has instructions on their site to circumvent this (http://www.macroundup.com/article/47756/) but still this is not good.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

I disagree with the above post, the only thing that can make the iPod vulnerable is by opening it up to protected WMA files from MS's store or just WMA's in general. That would just be dumb. Their current set-up allows them control of store-bought songs from iTMS only and anything else if you want to go through the trouble of burning it & then re-ripping it for a loss of quality & a general pain.

Apple's got it right for their line of products, but obviously Apple isn't going to let their main competitor in so many things get access to their flagship product.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

Actually, the reason the iPod doesn't play MSN store songs is because the MSN store doesn't offer mp3's for download. Which, by the way, will be the reason online music stores ultimately fail. People want mp3's.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

Apple might have over a cooperation to the Music Store. To strenghten the Competition.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117683,00.asp

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

Take a look at my article here:
http://blog.sagetechnology.com/techsage/archive/2004/08/02/209.aspx

Note that WMA audio decoding is built-into the processor in the iPod. Apple probably needed to do extra work to DISABLE WMA support. If their money is in the iPod and not iTunes like they claim, they wouldn't care if it played songs from other services - more people would buy iPod and they would have a even greater share in the player market.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 12:04AM]

I'm not suggesting that the iPod should play WindowsMedia files but rather Apple should allow other stores to use AAC/FairPlay. They can set the standard here.