http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/It's easy to send a document that's not in word. You just install Open Office like the entire Dutch government is doing.

Microsoft does not force anyone to use Windows. It just happens to be the easiest one to write software for therefore the most supported and therefore the one most people prefer and most manufacturers install.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Well, Linux ;)]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
"Microsoft does not force anyone to use Windows. It just happens to be the easiest one to write software for therefore the most supported and therefore the one most people prefer and most manufacturers install."

You weren't very old in the mid-late nineties when these things got sorted out, were you?]]>Jan 4th 2008 5:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 6:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Andir - I could cheat and point to the new machines that have a cut down version of Linux on the bios that you can boot into it seconds and has Firefox preinstalled.]]>Jan 4th 2008 5:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
I think that's the point of the lawsuit at hand.]]>Jan 4th 2008 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 10:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Of course, it doesn't hurt them that they can use that to sell you a >$1000 computer.]]>Jan 5th 2008 2:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Sure, you can't run OS X out of the box on a non-Mac, but it is possible.

BTW, I'm on a real Mac... not a hacked one.]]>Jan 5th 2008 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Baloney! Since when does importing = supporting? iPod doesn't work with WMA, simple as that. iTunes importing WMA files involves transcoding, which leads to a decline in quality. This is the same reason why writing FairPlay-DRMed files to CD and encoding back into AAC is not a desirable way to get rid of FairPlay DRM - because decoding and encoding back into a lossy format leads to a loss in quality.]]>Jan 4th 2008 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
You know, we're all supposed to be paying for our music...so if you bought WMA files in the last five or so years, Apple doesn't want you to be able to use them. It;s just bullying customers into the closed loop that is Apple. That having been said, a lawsuit like this is ridiculous. The fact is there are other music stores and other players. Apple is by no definition a monopoly. Consumer-hating control freaks? Yes. Monopoly? No.]]>Jan 4th 2008 9:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 5th 2008 1:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Get a brain, Microsoft.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Get a brain, fanboy.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
2. @Andir--the inability to play .mov files isn't a hardware lockout on Windows end. They don't license the codec, so it's a software issue--a free software issue, as any moron with a mouse and/or keyboard can install QuickTime. The iPod, on the other hand, has the hardware capbility to play .wma files, and Apple obviously licenses the codec at some level because iTunes can read and convert the file to an AAC file. (Without the software ability to read the .wma algorithms, it wouldn't be able to convert said algorithms to the AAC algorithms.) Ergo, Apple has intentionally blocked functionality with the iPod. Does that justify a lawsuit? Maybe, maybe not, but it's completely different than Windows Media Player support for .mov files.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
I see two problems with this. One: I have no affiliation with either party and I'm making money? (I need to be a lawyer is this passes) Two: iTunes (according to you) has the ability to convert WMAs to a proper format and they've paid the licensing fees, so there should be no issue here.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Which WOULD be grounds for a suit or grievance against the company at the very least.]]>Jan 4th 2008 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Read the damned story.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 7:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 14th 2008 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Tool.

The only :outside of the box" thinking I've really come across is from the little guys.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/You are outside the box.
Halt.]]>Jan 4th 2008 9:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Now that that's out of the way - I do think it's up to the company to determine what codecs their player will support. If people feel the need to have other formats, they may buy a player which is superior. They can't be forced to support any format. They could make it play .APPLE files if they wanted.

This is in the hands of the consumer, not the legal system.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
However, I don't think Apple has monopoly here. They do hold majority of the market, but others are free to compete, shops can offer iPod-compatible DRM-less AAC and MP3. iTunes Plus tracks can be played on other players.

If WMA was so desirable, Apple's lack of support for it would actually be good for competitors!
]]>Jan 5th 2008 2:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Suck it up microsoft,

~Bud]]>Jan 4th 2008 11:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/Jan 4th 2008 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/apple-sued-over-supposed-itunes-monopoly-being-mean-to-microsof/
Plus iTunes has always supported WMA, it jsut converted them into AAC.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all a fanboy of apple, but i'm also not a fan of frivolous lawsuits.]]>Jan 4th 2008 4:30PM