News
Apple Urges iTunes Users To Wait for Vista Compatibility Fix
Apple Inc. is urging some iPod and iTunes users to hold off on upgrading their
computers to Windows Vista, warning that the iTunes music software may not work
well with the new operating system from rival Microsoft Corp.
Apple said iTunes may work with many Vista computers, but the company knows
of some compatibility problems and recommends that users wait until it resolves
the issues with an iTunes update in the next few weeks, the company said in
a statement provided Friday by spokesman Derick Mains. The iTunes software is
key to synching music on computers with iPod portable players.
Microsoft launched Vista, its first major overhaul of Windows in five years,
on Tuesday.
Though Microsoft and Apple are partners in some cases -- iTunes works with
Windows PCs and Microsoft Office has a version for Macs -- the two are also
entrenched rivals. With Vista's launch, Apple ramped up its ad campaign attacks
against Windows.
According to a notice posted on Apple's Web site, compatibility problems include
the inability to play music or video purchased from the online iTunes store,
difficulties synchronizing contacts and calendars and possible failures of iPods
plugged into a Vista computer. Apple also outlined precautionary steps users
could take to try to minimize any problems should they upgrade to Vista now.
Adam Anderson, a spokesman for Microsoft's Windows division, said the company
did not believe iTunes users "should stop using Vista for these reasons."
The company said it is working with a long list of partners, including Apple,
to make sure their software is compatible with Vista. When the new operating
system launched, Microsoft claimed more than 5,000 hardware and software products
were already Vista-compatible.
The company has a dedicated team working with Apple on getting iTunes running
smoothly on Vista, and it will keep at it "until they have the program
running to the quality level they're shooting for," Anderson said.
Apple has sold more than 90 million iPods since the product was launched in
October 2001.