[hunkhuang]

The battle is shaping up between Apple's AAC/Fairplay Digital Rights Managment (DRM) soluton and Microsoft's WMA format. As long as iPod remains very popular, AAC won't hurt Apple in the Windows-dominated market. But, should iPod slip, Apple's leverage will evaporate quickly and we'll likely see the WMA format, which is compatible with BuyMusic.com, MusicMatch, etc., incorporated into the iPod. iPod is the key here; if you own an iPod, the only real choice for legal online music is Apple's iTunes Music Store. The more iPods Apple sells, the better iTMS for Windows chances of success. This is a bold gamble on Apple's part. It could approach the importance of the early 1990's OS battle between Mac and Windows. This new online music battle doesn't have to turn out the same way, but Apple has to get iTunes for Windows out to the world and it had better work very, very well. Reducing iPod prices in order to win the war wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[cpac]

[/drama]

[Macanoid]

on the other hand, Philips just stated that their consumer products will not be WMA compatible from now, on as they want to focus on open standards

[voodoo]

Originally posted by Macanoid:
on the other hand, Philips just stated that their consumer products will not be WMA compatible from now, on as they want to focus on open standards

Philips likes shafting M$. In fact most do except the Korean copycats and smalltime business startups such as Buymusic and Musicmatch. M$ will lose this one. Mark my words, this is not a question of loyalty or zealotry to Apple - rather embracing the WiMP standard gives DIRECT control, money and power to M$ for free. Everybody + dog is tired of the free money M$ is making without them seeing any of it.

[MacGorilla]

Originally posted by voodoo:
Philips likes shafting M$. In fact most do except the Korean copycats and smalltime business startups such as Buymusic and Musicmatch. M$ will lose this one. Mark my words, this is not a question of loyalty or zealotry to Apple - rather embracing the WiMP standard gives DIRECT control, money and power to M$ for free. Everybody + dog is tired of the free money M$ is making without them seeing any of it.

[mitchell_pgh]

People are realizing that you don't need Microsoft to have a popular file format... and Microsoft doesn't like it...

Apple is realizing that it can still make money on a format even if they make it an open standard...

[Earth Mk. II]

I think we'll need to see 3rd party MP3 players with AAC compatibility before the iTMS for Windows becomes as big of a success as it could be.

If Apple doesn't already have plans to let 3rd party manufacturers decode protected AAC files, then they should. I don't see very many people buying a $300 player just to lock themselves into one particular service.

[hunkhuang]

Yeah, i agree with you. Apple should be more aware of competitors and try to take chance to conquer the music world.

[blackbird_1.0]

i opened up a sale paper on sunday and saw two or three tv/dvd players that supported mp3, aac, and wma, so we'll see

[Synotic]

Unless you wrote that, I'd give credit where credit's due.