Apple has urged PC users running iTunes wait for a new release of the jukebox software before upgrading to Windows Vista.
The iTunes maker has released a small repair tool that solves one compatibility issue between its jukebox software iTunes and Microsoft's newest version of Windows, but says PC users are better off waiting for the next version of iTunes before upgrading to Vista.
The latest version of iTunes, 7.02, may work with Vista on many typical PCs, but Apple knows of a few incompatibility problems, including some that are serious.
For instance, users who remove their iPod from their computer using the "safely remove hardware" feature in Vista may corrupt the contents of their iPod, Apple says. In addition, users may not be able to make changes to their iPod settings, synch contacts and calendars with the iPod, or play songs they've bought online from the iTunes Store.
Apple offers a support document with tips for customers who do decide to upgrade to Vista before the new iTunes release, including reinstalling the latest version of iTunes. Apple is also now offering the repair tool which should help customers who are having trouble playing songs they've bought from the iTunes Store.
Still, Apple recommends that customers wait until a new release of iTunes becomes available in a couple of weeks before upgrading to Vista.
Microsoft, which launched the long-awaited operating system last week, recommends just the opposite.
"We're committed to ensuring that all partners, including Apple, get all of the resources they need to ensure that their applications work with Windows Vista. Customers shouldn't feel that they need to wait to adopt Vista for these reasons," Microsoft said in a statement.
Microsoft offers software partners a variety of resources to ensure that their products will be compatible with Vista, it said.
This report comes from Nancy Gohring of the IDG News Service.
By the way, we at Microsoft care about one thing only, YOUR WALLET - OUR PASSION. So hurry up and give us the money for this overdue, underdone version of XP with a new shower curtain. Never mind the investment in your iTunes music, and the time its gonna take you to upgrade, and the cost of new software or peripherals that work with Vista. If you have an XP system working near proper, you should run out and buy vista so you can learn where all the new menus are located, and spend a few days learning whats been renamed and moved. This is such a non-starter, the Wow, is gonna be what you say when you try to find the stuff you have been used to using for the last 5 years is now called something different and requires UAC security clearance to make a change. You have got to be kidding me...this is called an upgrade.......I think not.
Poor swifty who fears having to learn anything new. For me I was bored with XP anyway! Vista is great, and a well thought out operating system. Should you upgrade. If you want but like with any upgrade expect to have to resolve issues. Does that reflect negatively on Vista? Absolutely not!! And the UAC security clearance is a welcome peace of mind to know when and what is happening in the background of your PC. I have sound studio equipment that does not work yet with Vista. Gee it was just released do give software venders time to release drivers and software upgrades to support the new OS but don't let them effect your ultimate decision to do with your PC exactly what you want. So prepare to upgrade or stay with XP. Vista is well worth the effort!
Swifty is smart. I admire the adventurous spirit of early adopters, but I run a business. I have enough problems in my existence without going out of my way to find unnecessary ones. And Vista is unnecessary.
Right now, XP does it all for me. We even have security working well (third party). Vista would be a step down for me at this time.
Vista, see you next year or a couple months after SP1, whichever comes first (although I remember the XP SP2 debacle). Drivers, conflicts, and compatibilities might be worked out by then.
Bet you a lot of folks who rely on their computers will say the same.
swiftyknows, you are an idiot. XP is a great OS and Vista is a major overhaul, not a new front end. every aspect from memory and other hardware management to the GDI are fresh and new. You can be happy with your overpriced Apple OS but any study done to compare performance between Apple and Windows computers shows Microsoft out perform in all categories in equal price ranges. Don't count on Steve to share that bit of info.
Apple does only 1 thing really well and that's marketing and creating visually stunning products. That is not enough, especially in businesses.
Intecre, you are right to wait on Vista for the business side. Micrsoft has said many times that Vista is mostly directed at home users. They expect very late adoption in the work place. That said I can see a ton of ways that Vista improvements can help out on the job. Lucky for us we can at least upgrade Office 2007, IE, Sharepoint and other software that I was afraid would be made Vista only.
Vista code has been available to Apple developers for over 9 months now, and Apple has sat on it and not wanted to test or fix any potential problems. Do you think that Apple would appreciate Microsoft telling Apple users to hold off on their new Leopard OSx release because Microsoft didn't fix a little code in Office that may hamper certain documents that the user wrote or owned? Not to mention that Windows Beta users have been posting to Apple for over six months that there is a problem with their release on Vista. I've been working with Vista beta since March of last year and have no problems with my iTunes software or playing certain songs.
This sounds like another Apple created myth (like their Mac vs. PC commercials are so willing to spread) just to stir a little business their way.
This is also why I keep all my music on my HD and iPod in MP3 format instead of the Apple format. Everything I buy from the iTunes store gets ripped to a audio CD-RW, and then reburned to MP3 format. It sounds like a hassle, but I expect this kind of incompatibility with Apple. Their tunes also don't play in Media Player, nor on Media Center PC's or my XBox 360.
Microsoft is not the problem in this case, as they've made their programs at least attempt to work with any other format... Apple is still trying to rain on everyone elses parade to stay on top. They simply don't have the marketshare in the computer business to do it. It's a shame that the iPod (without a Linux hack) doesn't work with anything else. The EU spanked them for that, it's time that the US follow suit.
If Apple can't get iTunes working right on Windows XP who thought they would be able to get it working for Vista? I can't even turn on the visualizer on my Radeon x1650 because it drops to 1 fps with the latest drivers. That's garbage.
And how arrogant is Apple to think they are in the position to tell users when to / not to upgrade their operating system? They were on Microsoft's case about the 5 year delay of Vista and they can't even pump out a jukebox app -- funny...
I don't agree that this is a bad suggestion even though it is from a competitor. If you love ITunes then maybe you should wait to upgrade Vista.
If you love to play games you should wait to upgrade to Vista. All the games play slower in Vista and OpenGL games don't even work right now. What do you think Microsoft has to say about that. Would waiting to upgrade be good advise then if I love my games? You bet. Why is ITunes any different?
The issues with OpenGL and the games playing slower is actually a driver issue, and doesn't have anything to do with the OS. NVidia, and ATi in particular have failed to produce stable drivers for Vista.
Yes, you should wait if there are important programs that you need or enjoy so much that your life would be stunted by not having full access to all of them. But I think that if took a look at how far between the problems actually are and how driven the hardware manufacturers will be to fix their drivers, it won't be long before you'll find yourself enjoying the perks and smoothness of Vista. Less than 8% of the people who were in Beta were reporting issues with iTunes, most of us seemed to be functioning fine.
I'm a gamer. On Vista, I've played WoW, EQII, SimCity, Age of Empires, Call of Duty 2, and scores of others from 2000 forward with only two issues. I think if you are that you'd truly miss a few games then perhaps Vista is not for you and you should buy a console.
Geez - the article was about iTunes and Vista. It's OK to criticize Apple (and many others) for starting the race with their pants around their ankles, but they obviously feel they can afford to do it. It's not like Vista is an attractive business opportunity for them or anything, because it isn't. Face it,coppertops: until the downside of living without it outweighs its advantages (wink!), Vista is a toy. If the OEM cartel didn't push it, it wouldn't sell itself at all.
The dumb thing about this is that Apple had access to Vista way before any of us. It was available to developers, etc. so they could have their drivers/software ready when launch time came. Apple should have had this worked out way before now.
Darn every company should just stand up and say don't buy the next major operating system becuase we were too lazy to develop drivers for it for about a year or so. god and people complain about how long vista took to come about. its fine if they want to say there might be some unknow issues but to say don't buy at all is a imature marketing stratigy and god i wished there was more ways to up date an ipod then ituens. MS should just copy the security, and place it in media player as an option, then just fight it out in cour. they got the money and they could get a small share in the market.