Apple to Release iTunes for Windows, 20 GB iPod Next Week

Apple's iPod MP3 Player has been a smash hit with Macintosh users since the day it was introduced, as well as receiving some of the industry's most cherished design awards. Sales have far surpassed company expectations, with over 200,000 units being shipped to date. The computer maker moved 125,000 iPods in the first fiscal quarter of 2002, alone. Still, industry analysts question if these figures are as high as they could be.

The iPod Player interfaces with Apple's iTunes MP3 software, which allows users to rip, encode, and then transfer MP3 audio files from their desktops to the iPod player via FireWire high-speed data transfer. The only major design flaw associated with the iTunes software is that it runs exclusively on the Macintosh, effectively leaving PC users to marvel over, but not purchase, an iPod of their own.

Respected industry analysts claim that the company could more than double sales of the iPod if there were some way for Windows users to interface their PCs with iPod units. And it's hard to argue otherwise. Fortunately, no one will have to, as Apple will officially release a Windows version of their iTunes MP3 software next week during the semiannual MacWorld Expo, trusted sources confirmed to SlapTech last evening.

Apple will also phase out the 5GB iPod model, replacing it with the current 10GB version, and introduce a new 20GB iPod. The price brackets on the two units are expected to remain the same at $399 and $499 for the 10 and 20GB models, respectively.