Notes: iTMS Euro in June, Apple ringtones, Power Macs, and VPC

The European version of Apple's iTunes Music Store could launch as earlier as mid-June, according to information passed on by our friends at MacPlus. The French publication, which published a report on its findings, was kind enough to provide AppleInsider with an English translation and some addition insight.

According to reputable industry sources, the European division of Apple's iTunes Music Store is currently undergoing a live testing phase, where those privileged with access may login in and fully utilize its service. The store is reportedly scheduled to open in mid-June, but could see delays into, but no later than, September. And while few details are available, sources said that a delay beyond June would somehow be attributed to the launch of 4 competitive online European music services, which are set to open in October.

The standard price for a song will be a reportedly steep €1.29, of which approximately €0.80 would go directly where the record labels, DRM fees included.

During the test phase, representatives from the European music industry discovered a DRM flaw related to the Windows Media to AAC conversion available from the latest iTunes build. Apple is reportedly working on a solution to the problem.

Apple to sell ringtones

Meanwhile, sources said that the European version of the iTunes Music Store (and future versions of the US iTunes store) will allow users to purchase and download an assortment of cell phone ringtones and tracks.

MacPlus also alludes to the rumored video capabilities of the forthcoming iPod revision, which are somewhat consistent with unpublished information recently obtained by AppleInsider. A report on the subject is forthcoming, though it should be noted that these rumors pertain to external capabilities rather than handset features. In other words, there has been no information to suggest that the new iPod will play videos in the palm of a user's hand.

Deals on current Power Mac G5s

According to a handful of sources, earlier this week Apple account representatives began offering some resellers attractive deals on the current line of Power Mac G5s. No further details were presented, but the tip implies that the computer maker may be attempting to initiate a process to deplete current inventory in favor of new units within the next 6 weeks.

Virtual PC delay confirmed

CNET's Ina Fried has confirmed an AppleInsider article, which first reported that Microsoft had delayed the release of Virtual PC 7.0 by several months.

"Initially, our development and testing time line was estimated based on our experience with development of Office," Microsoft product manager Jessica Sommer told CNET in a statement. "The developing, testing and bug fix cycle with Virtual PC is longer than that of Office and the testing more vigorous than previous version(s) of Virtual PC. Because of this, we have adjusted our release timing to match a more realistic schedule."