Apple Computer is really onto something. It's called digital music.
And it has absolutely nothing to do with the personal computer maker's recent launch of an iTunes store for Windows. Rather, it's the reaction and response Apple has received since launching iTunes for Windows.
You know that you've really touched a cord when you get a Microsoft official out in front commenting on how Apple's technology just doesn't cut the mustard. Usually, after a response such as this, Microsoft gets busy copying the innovation it has just denounced. Microsoft's response came from David Fester, who warned Windows users not to be seduced by iTunes:
"Unless Apple decides to make radical changes to their service model, a Windows-based version of iTunes will still remain a closed system, where iPod owners cannot access content from other services. Additionally, users of iTunes are limited to music from Apple's Music Store. As I mentioned earlier, this is a drawback for Windows users, who expect choice in music services, choice in devices, and choice in music from a wide-variety of music services to burn to a CD or put on a portable device," said Fester.
"Lastly, if you use Apple's music store along with iTunes, you don't have the ability of using the over 40 different Windows Media-compatible portable music devices. When I'm paying for music, I want to know that I have choices today and in the future," he said.
When I read this in The Register (www.theregister.co.uk) I almost fell out of my chair laughing! For Fester to accuse Apple of trying to cram a closed system down consumers throats is like Osama Bin Laden trying to convince the world that Al-Qaeda is a peace movement. In fact, my most recent MacDoor column addressed this strategy. The article, "Could Apple be Stealing a Page from Microsoft's Playbook?" http://www.mymac.com/mccormick/5.15.02.shtml by Bob McCormick of MyMac.com, points to Apple's apparent desire to do just that. That's bad, I mean really bad for Microsoft, because of all of its monopoly baggage. It just isn't in a position to do much about it!
So, what Apple couldn't do to gain broader acceptance by establishing its own standards and by building a closed system for so many years, it is now doing through innovation.