Apple iTunes for Windows... Soon?

MacRumors · Oct 7, 2003, 01:29 PM

With the recent emergance of a number of competitors to Apple's iTunes Music Store, Apple-followers are anxious about the release of the promised iTunes Music store for Windows.

Today, AppleInsider claims that iTunes for Windows is complete and that an announcement is expected anywhere from "as early as next week" to "by month's end".

The date of October 15th is suggested as a possibility, which echoes a previous Page 2 report from early September, which originally pinpointed the iTunes Music Store for Windows on that date.

A mid-October launch was later confirmed by Newsweek who referenced "music insiders" with knowledge of Apple's plans.

Meanwhile, the only new information from Apple was simply confirmation by Jobs that Apple was still "very much on track to execute iTunes for Windows".

Java · Oct 7, 2003, 01:31 PM

Way to go Apple (if this is true).

sabbath999 · Oct 7, 2003, 01:32 PM

This should not have taken this long!

tutubibi · Oct 7, 2003, 01:34 PM

Let's get this iTunes Windows thing over so iTunes can expand to Canada and other countries.
I hope once Windows thing is done, Apple will concentrate to expand iTunes (Mac and/or Windows) to other countries.

mactastic · Oct 7, 2003, 01:34 PM

Wow, that would be huge if Apple could get it rolled out this month. If it happens while people are still not committed to another service, Apple could snag a whole lot of PC people with the slick interface we are all used to.

Cool beans.

syrreg · Oct 7, 2003, 01:40 PM

Good. Then they can STOP distributing their direct competitor's software with every iPod!

Flowbee · Oct 7, 2003, 01:45 PM

This will be the first time a lot of Windows users will actually use an Apple application (other than watching an occasional quicktime video). Let's hope it 'just works.'

tutubibi · Oct 7, 2003, 01:47 PM

Any word on whether the licencing terms will be same for Windows as they are now for Mac?
I know there ware issues with recording lables not eager to grant same broad rights to Windows offering.

Or maybe we will just see iTunes for Windows software for now without access to ITunes store?

micvog · Oct 7, 2003, 01:51 PM

It will be interesting to see if Apple also includes WMA support for Windows iTunes and the iPod at the same time.

Even though WMA is a proprietary Microsoft format, it has the appearance of being an open standard since there are a number of third-party devices that support WMA. As an example, my DVD player (Panasonic) plays WMA files, my Pocket PC plays WMA files, my co-worker's Honda Accord plays WMA files and most MP3 players do as well. AAC on the other hand, while being an open standard, has the appearance of being proprietary since only Apple is pushing it (AFAIK). I don't know of a DVD player, PDA, car CD player or MP3 player (besides the iPod) that plays AAC.

This, along with Apple's poor reputation on writing Windows software (Quicktime is pretty bad on the PC side), are the two biggest concerns I hear from PC users about a potential iTunes for Windows.

Meanwhile, I am waiting for new iBooks or eMacs along with Jaguar to make the Switch.

york2600 · Oct 7, 2003, 01:55 PM

Here's my question. Will Apple include Rendezvous sharing in iTunes for Windows. I think a big way for Apple to gain market share over Windows Media Player is to grab the college market and I can tell you that Windows users are uber jealous of iTunes library sharing. I would also love to double or triple the number of shared libraries here. It's about 15 most of the time on my campus and we only have 7,000 students including commuters

srobert · Oct 7, 2003, 01:58 PM

Until now the two major critics of ITMS from competitors were:

1) Not windows compatible, and

2) Only 200,000 songs, we got 250,000, 300,000, 500,000, etc...

This could mean that critic 1 finally goes down the drain.

What about critic 2?

Anyone knows how much songs ITMS sports as we speak? What is keeping them to have as much as the 500,000 advertised by competitor Napster?

phgreer · Oct 7, 2003, 02:00 PM

My laptop is an iBook (white one with combo drive) and my desktop is a Dell 8200 running XP Pro. I love iTunes on my iBook but how will it work when it comes to sharing tunes between the two? Will I be able to copy the tunes on my iBook to my PC and vice versa over my home network?

arn · Oct 7, 2003, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tutubibi
Any word on whether the licencing terms will be same for Windows as they are now for Mac?
I know there ware issues with recording lables not eager to grant same broad rights to Windows offering.

Or maybe we will just see iTunes for Windows software for now without access to ITunes store?

MusicMatch has very simliar licensing as iTunes for Mac... so I think it shouldn't be an issue.

arn

greenstork · Oct 7, 2003, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Macrumors
With the recent emergance of a number of competitors to Apple's iTunes Music Store, Apple-followers are anxious about the release of the promised iTunes Music store for Windows.

This is outstanding news. I can wait for my PC toting friends to hop on board in droves. I know they're all waiting. They secretly love Apple but refuse to admit it.

However, I think instead of "Apple-followers are anxious" you meant to say "Apple-followers are getting whiny"

PowerBook User · Oct 7, 2003, 02:05 PM

I hope they're right. If iTunes and iTMS come out this month, the other Windows services won't have much of a head start.

arnette · Oct 7, 2003, 02:23 PM

Is this why a special edition iPod wasn't released? Or the holdout for iPod peripherals? Maybe they want to bundle it with the new iTunes? So Windows people can install iTunes that's included with their iPods?

Just curious. Someone brought up iSync for Windows and what kind of synching solution Apple will have for PC. I hadn't thought of that but it's a good point.

alia · Oct 7, 2003, 02:25 PM

It would figure that iTunes comes out just as I'm getting ready to buy my Mac.

Still... my siblings will definitely benefit from it. My sister loves itunes and she has a Dell.

Plus, then I can actually keep a copy of my music on my current PC.

Yay!

Alia

bertagert · Oct 7, 2003, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sabbath999
This should not have taken this long!

Why not? Apple said by the end of the year the windows version would be out. The "competion" aren't doing anything great. So what are you so worried about?

I just find it funny that every time a new service comes out, half the people on these forums get freaked out that Apple won't have a chance with the windows ITMS. Well, we've had Buy Music (a flop), now Music Match (jury is still out) and soon-to-be Dell and Napster. Looks like ITMS for windows will be out before the later two. There is no problem with ITMS for windows coming out a week from now or 2 months from now. Apple has built the online music brand. Dell definitely won't capture any of it, Music Match might do ok but without having a player they're not going to make any money, and finally, Napster might have a poke because of the name. All things considered, Apple has won the marketing battle already. So don't worry too much about it.

Give the whole online music store a year. You'll have two left standing. Apple and either Napster or Music Match (I don't think MM has the cash to compete against these too though?). Then the war will start between WMA and AAC.

CaptainScarlet · Oct 7, 2003, 02:33 PM

Ever since Winamp went out the door for windows (It sucks), I've been dying for a really good FREE Polished player...And this is it!!!!

I can't wait for it to be released!!!!!!

(PC at home....Mac at work.)

CS

bertagert · 02:42 PM

I wonder how many people are using windows 98 or lower still? I know I do on my work machine. Music Match definitely won't work on these machines but wondering if Apple is as well?

Just a thought.

Edit: I just saw that Music match does work on win 98. Sorry.

Mason · Oct 7, 2003, 02:37 PM

If I were Apple, I wouldn't announce iTunes for Windows this week. I'm assuming that they would like some media coverage and they're not likely to get it with the recall and the leak taking up 99% of the news coverage. I'd wait until next week.

restiffbard · Oct 7, 2003, 02:37 PM

thing 1. Yesterday I rolled out of bed at 3 in the morning and had a craving for some new music. So, I hop on iTunes and just browse a bit from the highlighted titles on the front page. Not really looking for anything I see a Coltrane album for 6.93. Click. Update iPod. Done. If anyone else can make buying music at 3 in the morning that easy or easier they can have my money. I sincerely doubt, though, that anyone can beat Apple at the ease of use.

thing 2. someone asked about having tunes on a PC and a Mac. Well, currently you can have up to 3 Macs authorized to play your music. I suppose one of them can be a PC.

inkswamp · Oct 7, 2003, 02:42 PM

An online acquaintance of mine (who asked not to be named... heh... wonder why) commented to me that he thinks a Windows version of Safari could emerge from the whole iTunes for Windows thing since iTunes and Safari rely on a lot of the same libraries to do their work (I guess iTunes renders the music store that way.) I'm not so technically inclined to know whether there's any validity to such a statement or not, but it does seem like an interesting outcome of this. Has anyone heard any such rumors and furthermore does anyone have a deep enough understanding of this to comment? At first, I thought Safari for Windows would be ridiculous, but then when you think about MS's announcement to stop making IE as a standalone product, it seems like one of those unlikely scenarios that could happen.

Sonofhaig · Oct 7, 2003, 02:44 PM

I wouldn't be surprised to see it sometime next week. I think it'll be an amazing success too!

Doctor Q · Oct 7, 2003, 02:49 PM

itunes.macrumors.com

I haven't noticed the use of a subdomain devoted to a topic before. Is this something new? Are there others?

Oct 7, 2003, 01:29 PM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Apple iTunes for Windows... Soon? With the recent emergance of a number of competitors to Apple's iTunes Music Store, Apple-followers are anxious about the release of the promised iTunes Music store for Windows. Today, AppleInsider claims that iTunes for Windows is complete and that an announcement is expected anywhere from "as early as next week" to "by month's end". The date of October 15th is suggested as a possibility, which echoes a previous Page 2 report from early September, which originally pinpointed the iTunes Music Store for Windows on that date. A mid-October launch was later confirmed by Newsweek who referenced "music insiders" with knowledge of Apple's plans. Meanwhile, the only new information from Apple was simply confirmation by Jobs that Apple was still "very much on track to execute iTunes for Windows".

Oct 7, 2003, 01:31 PM	#2
Java macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Marin County (where else?)	Apple is on target Way to go Apple (if this is true). __________________ "even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked." -B. Dylan "Propaganda all is phony." -B. Dylan

Oct 7, 2003, 01:32 PM	#3
sabbath999 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: rural Missouri	Hurry Up This should not have taken this long!

Oct 7, 2003, 01:34 PM	#5
mactastic macrumors 68040 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Colly-fornia	Wow, that would be huge if Apple could get it rolled out this month. If it happens while people are still not committed to another service, Apple could snag a whole lot of PC people with the slick interface we are all used to. Cool beans. __________________ "Republicans, I think you are confusing tyranny with losing." -- Jon Stewart

Oct 7, 2003, 01:45 PM	#7
Flowbee macrumors 68030 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Alameda, CA	This will be the first time a lot of Windows users will actually use an Apple application (other than watching an occasional quicktime video). Let's hope it 'just works.' __________________ Podophile.com >> Home of Nike+iPod hacks and FAQs.

Oct 7, 2003, 01:34 PM	#4
tutubibi macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: localhost	Let's get this iTunes Windows thing over so iTunes can expand to Canada and other countries. I hope once Windows thing is done, Apple will concentrate to expand iTunes (Mac and/or Windows) to other countries.

Oct 7, 2003, 01:40 PM	#6
syrreg macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2003	Good. Then they can STOP distributing their direct competitor's software with every iPod!

Oct 7, 2003, 01:47 PM	#8
tutubibi macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: localhost	Any word on whether the licencing terms will be same for Windows as they are now for Mac? I know there ware issues with recording lables not eager to grant same broad rights to Windows offering. Or maybe we will just see iTunes for Windows software for now without access to ITunes store?

Oct 7, 2003, 01:51 PM	#9
micvog macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2003	It will be interesting to see if Apple also includes WMA support for Windows iTunes and the iPod at the same time. Even though WMA is a proprietary Microsoft format, it has the appearance of being an open standard since there are a number of third-party devices that support WMA. As an example, my DVD player (Panasonic) plays WMA files, my Pocket PC plays WMA files, my co-worker's Honda Accord plays WMA files and most MP3 players do as well. AAC on the other hand, while being an open standard, has the appearance of being proprietary since only Apple is pushing it (AFAIK). I don't know of a DVD player, PDA, car CD player or MP3 player (besides the iPod) that plays AAC. This, along with Apple's poor reputation on writing Windows software (Quicktime is pretty bad on the PC side), are the two biggest concerns I hear from PC users about a potential iTunes for Windows. Meanwhile, I am waiting for new iBooks or eMacs along with Jaguar to make the Switch.

Oct 7, 2003, 01:55 PM	#10
york2600 macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Antarctica & Portland, OR	Here's my question. Will Apple include Rendezvous sharing in iTunes for Windows. I think a big way for Apple to gain market share over Windows Media Player is to grab the college market and I can tell you that Windows users are uber jealous of iTunes library sharing. I would also love to double or triple the number of shared libraries here. It's about 15 most of the time on my campus and we only have 7,000 students including commuters

Oct 7, 2003, 01:58 PM	#11
srobert macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal, Canada	Until now the two major critics of ITMS from competitors were: 1) Not windows compatible, and 2) Only 200,000 songs, we got 250,000, 300,000, 500,000, etc... This could mean that critic 1 finally goes down the drain. What about critic 2? Anyone knows how much songs ITMS sports as we speak? What is keeping them to have as much as the 500,000 advertised by competitor Napster?

Oct 7, 2003, 02:00 PM	#12
phgreer macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Greenville, SC	My laptop is an iBook (white one with combo drive) and my desktop is a Dell 8200 running XP Pro. I love iTunes on my iBook but how will it work when it comes to sharing tunes between the two? Will I be able to copy the tunes on my iBook to my PC and vice versa over my home network?

Oct 7, 2003, 02:05 PM	#15
PowerBook User macrumors regular Join Date: May 2003	I hope they're right. If iTunes and iTMS come out this month, the other Windows services won't have much of a head start.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:23 PM	#16
arnette macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Los Angeles	Is this why a special edition iPod wasn't released? Or the holdout for iPod peripherals? Maybe they want to bundle it with the new iTunes? So Windows people can install iTunes that's included with their iPods? Just curious. Someone brought up iSync for Windows and what kind of synching solution Apple will have for PC. I hadn't thought of that but it's a good point.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:25 PM	#17
alia macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Gainesville, FL	It would figure that iTunes comes out just as I'm getting ready to buy my Mac. Still... my siblings will definitely benefit from it. My sister loves itunes and she has a Dell. Plus, then I can actually keep a copy of my music on my current PC. Yay! Alia __________________ Proud owner of a 1.25 Ghz 15" Powerbook Check out my photography

Oct 7, 2003, 02:33 PM	#19
CaptainScarlet macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: CheeseLand	Just the Player alone.... Ever since Winamp went out the door for windows (It sucks), I've been dying for a really good FREE Polished player...And this is it!!!! I can't wait for it to be released!!!!!! (PC at home....Mac at work.) CS

Oct 7, 2003, 02:35 PM	#20
bertagert macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2003	Windows 98 Users? I wonder how many people are using windows 98 or lower still? I know I do on my work machine. Music Match definitely won't work on these machines but wondering if Apple is as well? Just a thought. Edit: I just saw that Music match does work on win 98. Sorry. Last edited by bertagert : Oct 7, 2003 at 02:42 PM.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:37 PM	#21
Mason macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2003	If I were Apple, I wouldn't announce iTunes for Windows this week. I'm assuming that they would like some media coverage and they're not likely to get it with the recall and the leak taking up 99% of the news coverage. I'd wait until next week.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:37 PM	#22
restiffbard macrumors member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Virginia	two things thing 1. Yesterday I rolled out of bed at 3 in the morning and had a craving for some new music. So, I hop on iTunes and just browse a bit from the highlighted titles on the front page. Not really looking for anything I see a Coltrane album for 6.93. Click. Update iPod. Done. If anyone else can make buying music at 3 in the morning that easy or easier they can have my money. I sincerely doubt, though, that anyone can beat Apple at the ease of use. thing 2. someone asked about having tunes on a PC and a Mac. Well, currently you can have up to 3 Macs authorized to play your music. I suppose one of them can be a PC.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:42 PM	#23
inkswamp macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2003	Side effect of iTunes for Windows? An online acquaintance of mine (who asked not to be named... heh... wonder why) commented to me that he thinks a Windows version of Safari could emerge from the whole iTunes for Windows thing since iTunes and Safari rely on a lot of the same libraries to do their work (I guess iTunes renders the music store that way.) I'm not so technically inclined to know whether there's any validity to such a statement or not, but it does seem like an interesting outcome of this. Has anyone heard any such rumors and furthermore does anyone have a deep enough understanding of this to comment? At first, I thought Safari for Windows would be ridiculous, but then when you think about MS's announcement to stop making IE as a standalone product, it seems like one of those unlikely scenarios that could happen.

Oct 7, 2003, 02:44 PM	#24
Sonofhaig macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Greenvale, NY	I wouldn't be surprised to see it sometime next week. I think it'll be an amazing success too! __________________

Oct 7, 2003, 02:49 PM	#25
Doctor Q macrumors god Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: at the table with countless relatives	itunes.macrumors.com I haven't noticed the use of a subdomain devoted to a topic before. Is this something new? Are there others? __________________ "You've just been abducted, of course you need crepes!" -- Walter Bishop

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