A Microsoft executive said Thursday that the HP and Apple iPod/iTunes agreement would limit choice and harm consumers on the Windows platform. “Windows is about choice, you can mix and match all of this stuff,” David Fester, general manager of Microsoft’s Windows digital media division, told the New York Times. “We believe you should have the same choice when it comes to music services.” As the Apple Turns has a nice translation: “Use any service you want as long as it sells Windows Media, buy any player out there as long as it plays Windows Media — but for heaven’s sake, don’t buy one of those wretched iPod thingies or we’ll be completely boned with our whole plan to monopolize digital media commerce and then we might actually have to start innovating for our paychecks for a change.”
