WMA + iPod?
This is just kind of surreal: the rumor is that HP is working with Apple to get WMA support added. From the article:
HP's blockbuster deal with Apple will have one exciting side effect, I discovered today. The company will be working with Apple to add support for Microsoft's superior Windows Media Audio (WMA) format to the iPod by mid-year. You heard it here first.
I dunno. From HP's standpoint, I could see how they'd want it. Almost all of the other paid music download sites use .wma, and if you check out kaaza and the like you'll find it becoming really popular. Hence, there are lots of people that would want to be able to play .wma files on their iPods.
What I don't get is one of the things that haven't really been touched upon by Apple or others much: That Apple is in a war right now with MS over media formats. Really similar to the browser wars... basically, if everything goes .wmv/.wma/etc, Apple is going to be kinda screwed in the consumer space. If everything goes mpeg4/AAC/etc, MS is gonna be really unhappy.
Apple says the iTunes store is all about selling iPods, but really it's also about pushing AAC adoption. Adding .wma support would help sell iPods, but really hurt AAC adoption, so... At any rate, Dell having nothing to say was kind of a nice bonus. :)
Posted by drunkenbatmanJanuary 12, 2004, at 01:51 AM
Acccording to HP it's not happening =[