It’s really good see two longtime rivals having to put aside their differences for the sake of music and money.
This is good news for any iTunes holdouts who plan on using Windows 10 S.
In what way is it good news?
Now, here’s something you probably weren’t expecting: Apple is bringing iTunes to the Windows Store. You’ll no longer have to download a conventional desktop app just to play Apple Music or sync your iPhone. It’s not certain how the Store version will differ from the regular Windows app (if at all), but it’s more the presence itself that matters: You won’t have to forego Apple’s ecosystem if you’re using Windows 10S. If nothing else, this puts iTunes in front of users who otherwise wouldn’t see it. There’s no mention of a release date, so it may be a while before you can check this out firsthand.
The decision to bring the iTunes app is significant given both companies’ past reluctance to make that their respective services, like Microsoft Office, compatible with the other’s.
Bringing iTunes to the Windows Store helps improve the perception that Microsoft it is more open to working with other companies and technologies than previously. Microsoft also said that it would let people download three different versions of the Linux operating system from its Windows Store, which is a big change considering Microsoft once considered a threat to its proprietary Windows operating system.
In 2015, Apple invited a Microsoft executive to demonstrate a version of its Office software for the iPad, which surprised technology analysts who’ve grown accustomed to seeing the two companies at each other’s throats rather than playing nice.
Final thoughts
Apple stands to gain through the deal if more people are able to download iTunes to Windows-based personal computers and perhaps sign up to its Apple Music streaming service.
