iTunes snub is another nail in the Windows RT coffin

May 11, 2013

Windows RT just can't catch a break. Friday's big news— Apple's refusal to create an iTunes Windows 8 app —was another blow to the beleaguered OS, for even though Microsoft's finger-friendly software are dubbed "Windows 8 apps," they're truly "Windows RT apps." The ARM processors poweringWindows RT tablets can't run traditional desktop programs (like iTunes) and are instead forced to rely upon the lackluster selection in the Windows Store. Apple's decision to pass on a Windows 8 app doesn't affect hardware running the full version of Windows 8 in the slightest, as those users just grab the classic version. But for people who bought into the promise of the Surface RTand its ilk, the snub cuts deep. The lack of an iTunes app is a big deal, and not just because the current state of Windows 8 music apps is so …wanting. (The baked-in Music app? Meh.) More importantly, iTunes is a juggernaut of an ecosystem, gobbling roughly two-thirds of all paid digital music and video sales alike. If you buy digital media, there's a great chance you have something stashed in iTunes—and, if that something includes any video files or DRM-protected songs, you'll find it utterly inaccessible on Windows RT. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038507/itunes-snub-is-another-nail-in-the-windows-rt-coffin.html#tk.rss_all