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May 18, 2005
Microsoft’s new Xbox plays nice with iPod?
The blokes over at Engadget got to sit down with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach and one of the things they talked about was - are you sitting down? - the iPod. The interview quotes Steve Ballmer as saying,
"Let’s say… music, MP3s… if you have any music in AAC format there’s not much anyone can do with it because Apple doesn’t want anybody to do anything with protected AAC, so you take anything that’s not in protected AAC format. We want you to be able to get that music over to the Xbox and enjoy it while you’re gaming. So we’re doing the work—whether it’s with iPod or some of the other handheld devices—to move appropriate content back and forth. It’s a nice thing. I think it shows our openness."
Microsoft has no footing to brag about their openness, but then again, Apple doesn't either. The important thing here is that this is a concession on the part of Microsoft and it's another sign that iPod, and Apple, and the AAC format, are important for the future of digital media and speaks for their longevity.
Note the iPod and Sony PSP in the top right portion of Microsoft's presentation, pictured at right.
Via: The Engadget & Joystiq Interview: Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft
Posted on May 18, 2005 11:53 AM | Category: News
