Apple Tells iPod And iTune Users NOT To Upgrade To Vista

From ClickToNews

[edit] Abstract

The Apple company, known for its 'fashionable' computers and most recently for the iPod, has warned windows users using iPods and iTunes not to upgrade to Vista until Apple is able to release an update for their products.

[edit] Details

With the recent laungh of Microsoft's newest operating system this week, Apple is warning windows users that the new operating system is currently incompatible with the exisiting version of its iTunes software - and that even plugging in your iPod to a Vista computer may corrupt the iPod. Apple says that while the incompatibilities may not surface for all users, the problems are serious enough to recommend to its users that they wait to upgrade to Vista until a patch is available from Apple.

Here is a list of Apple's itunes and ipod current incompatibilities with Vista, as listed on Apple.com:

iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP.
iPod models with the "Enable Disk Use" option turned off may be unable to update or restore iPod software, and make changes to iPod settings.
iPod models configured to Auto Sync and have the "Enable Disk Use" option turned off may require being ejected and reconnected to resync.
Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature may corrupt your iPod. To always safely eject an iPod, choose Eject iPod from the Controls menu within iTunes.
Cover Flow animation may be slower than expected.
Contacts and calendars will not sync with iPod.

(source: Apple's Official Vista Incompatibility Info Page)

Windows vista became available this week to all users, however an enterprise version has been available to large companies since last November. Since then there are been numerous stories floating around regardings Vista's incompatibility with some programs and drivers that worked fine in Windows XP.

Critics of Microsoft blame the company for continually changing and remaking its various pre-release versions of Vista that had been made available to large 3rd party software companies. They say that Apple is not at fault because they could not properly predict the configuration of the final release of Vista - and thus could not make a version of iTunes and iPod drivers that were compatible with Vista.

Critics of Apple blame the company for a blatent attempt at slowing the proliferation of Vista by intentionally delaying the release of a simple new version or patch that would allow Vista users to use their expensive Apple MP3 devices without problem. The idea being that since Apple has a (barely) competing operating system available, and this itune/ipod incompatibility is merely a marketing attempt to drag down the reputation of the new Windows Vista. Remember, a FINAL copy of windows Vista Enterprise have been available and in use since November - and if it is Apple's claim that they could not come up with a patch to fix the incompatibility in the last 3 months, they have some serious explaining to do.

Caught in the middle of this clash of two titans is the average windows / ipod user. A dedicated windows users might be dying to upgrade to Vista merely to see what the next operating system can do. But if they have an iPod AND they find out about the iPod incompatibility before they upgrade, they may think twice. However, a serious professional with a brand new computer running Vista would have no choice in the matter - they can't connect their iPod without worries of corruption, until Apple decides to support PCs again.

If this is a marketing ploy by the excutives at Apple - it is more likely to turn into a public relations nightmare if Apple continues to ignore the problem and stall on the release of an update to this software / drivers. Are Windows users really going to shelve Vista just to keep their iPods connected? Or will this strong-arm tactic by Apple show Apple users that Microsoft isn't the only bully in the software industry?

The bottom line: there are many competing MP3 players on the market, none of which have major incompatibilities with Vista - if Apple continues to punish owers of its expensive product who happan to use windows, perhaps the iPod bubble will burst.