Apple Warns iTunes Users to Wait on Vista

Users of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iTunes who upgrade to Windows Vista may encounter significant problems with their iTunes software, according to a statement from the company.

As a result of compatibility issues, Apple is encouraging Windows-based iTunes users to hold off on upgrading to Vista until the new version of the iTunes music software is released "in the next few weeks."

Some users of iTunes version 7.0.2 may find that they have no problem running iTunes with Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) newly released Vista operating system, the company said, but others may encounter significant problems.

For example, ejecting an iPod from a computer using Vista's "safely remove hardware" feature could corrupt the contents of the iPod, the company claimed. Other known problems can include the inability to play music purchased from the iTunes Store, to change iPod settings or to synchronize contacts and calendars with the iPod.

Downloadable Patch

For users who do encounter problems, Apple has released the iTunes Repair Tool for Vista, which is available for download from its Web site. The Repair Tool will repair permissions files needed by iTunes to play music correctly, officials said.

Officials from Apple could not be reached for additional details.

Apple and Microsoft are rivals in the operating environment arena, as evidenced by the aggressive anti-Windows ads Apple rolled out following Vista's release last week. However, they have also partnered to ensure compatibility between their products.

In the five or so years leading up to Vista's release, Microsoft touted its partnerships with many developers, including Apple, to ensure that software would be Vista-compatible when the operating system was released.

Purported Partnerships?

"Microsoft is committed to ensuring the best possible customer experience with Windows Vista. More than 5,000 hardware and software products have been Certified for Windows Vista or have a Works with Windows Vista logo, and more than 1.5 million devices work with Windows Vista right now," Microsoft said.

"We're also committed to ensuring that all partners, including Apple, receive all of the resources they need to ensure that their applications work with Windows Vista. Windows Vista provides an easier, safer, more entertaining and better connected experience -- at home or on the go, and consumers can experience this improvement right now by upgrading to Windows Vista," the company added.

"It surprised me, because Vista has been coming for so long," Phil Leigh, senior analyst at Inside Digital Media, told MacNewsWorld. "My guess is that this is a confirmation that despite all the antitrust issues, Microsoft isn't as open as they ought to be, or else Apple failed to get information they needed," he added. "It may underscore Apple's determination to try and remain independent, and to keep their system closed."

Users on Hold

"Who knows who didn't get what e-mail" about some detail of the operating system that ultimately gave rise to the problems, Mike McGuire, vice president of research for media at Gartner (NYSE: IT), told MacNewsWorld. "You can conjecture that this could be another tactic in the operating-system war ... but I'm not sure this is nefarious. Apple's main concern is making sure iTunes delivers the same experience on both platforms."

PC-based users of iTunes are now in an interesting position as they decide whether to wait or upgrade to Vista now, McGuire explained.

Yet it may not be all that many users who are affected, Leigh noted, since it will mostly just be people buying new PCs with Vista pre-installed -- and a few weeks isn't too long to wait. "But it makes me wonder," he questioned, "will it really be ready in a few weeks?"