Forbes’ online arm has published an article from a UK online site called NewMediaZero. That article touts “the relatively open nature” of Windows Media 10, which “stands in stark contrast” to Apple’s closed and proprietary iTunes. The article also quotes a broadband content provider who compares the coming platform war between Microsoft and Apple to the Mac/PC platform wars of the 80s and 90s. From that article:
Targeted at the growing portable device market, WMP 10 makes it possible to transfer music to over 70 devices, including MP3 players from Samsung, Dell and Creative.
The relatively open nature of the player stands in stark contrast to Apple’s proprietary iTunes and iPod.
[…]
Arthur Cinadar, head of media at content provider 2Wire, said, “It looks like the PC market all over again: the proprietary Apple solution of hardware, software and store versus the open Microsoft solution. Anyone can make the hardware or can sell the music and Microsoft gets money from the software licences.”
Forbes publishes a number of articles through syndication services, including many articles from The Mac Observer. This particular article was originally published by NewMedia Zero. You can find the Forbes’ version of the article at the magazine’s Web site. You can find more info about NewMediaZero at that company’s Web site.
The Mac Observer Spin:
There is an argument to be made that Apple has locked iTunes downloads to iPods, and one can also say that Microsoft is licensing its own proprietary solution to just about anyone willing to pay the company’s licensing fees. It is erroneous, however, to call a licensed, proprietary technology “open.” The reality is that Windows Media is just as closed and locked as iTunes downloads (AAC music format with Apple’s FairPlay DRM scheme), and any attempt to pitch it as anything else is little more than false marketing spin.
We’ll go one step further, though, and slam this article from NewMediaZero as very shoddy journalism. In addition to getting their facts wrong, the publication made no attempt to get a contrary opinion, and we wonder at the relevance of Ms. Cinadar’s opinion in the first place. While 2Wire may be a dandy broadband content provider, NewMediaZero made no effort to explain to the reader why it is the “head of media” at this company was particularly qualified to offer a pertinent opinion on the status of the Music Platform War. That’s just sloppy, and it’s too bad that this article was selected by Forbes for publication.