Microsoft: Don’t expect iTunes for Windows 8 ‘any time soon,’ the ball’s in Apple’s court

By Mariella Moon Published May 10, 2013

iTunes-11-fl — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Windows app store now has more than 60,000 apps that you can download, and Microsoft expects the number to grow even more within this year. But there’s one major piece of software that won’t have a Windows 8 version anytime soon: iTunes. And, according to Microsoft, the ball’s in Apple’s court.

“You shouldn’t expect an iTunes app on Windows 8 any time soon,” Tami Reller, chief financial officer of Microsoft’s Windows division, told CNN earlier this week. “iTunes is in high demand. The welcome mat has been laid out. It’s not for lack of trying.” To be clear, you can install iTunes on Windows 8 devices, unless they’re running Windows RT. You can use iTunes on the system’s desktop mode, which won’t be a problem if you’re on a computer with a keyboard and a mouse; tough luck if you have a Windows 8 tablet like the Surface since iTunes will be a pain to navigate.

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By publishing an official iTunes app for Windows 8, Apple will make the software usable on RT and more user-friendly on tablets. While iPads are still at the top of the pyramid in the tablet market, competition is getting tougher, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise that Apple’s not at all gung-ho about making an iTunes app for Windows 8. Despite the lack of iTunes, at the rate things are going, Microsoft believes that most major apps that can be found on iTunes will be available for Windows 8 by fall.

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Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

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