Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn"t think Apple will lead the way to tomorrow"s digital home - and describes iPod users as music thieves.
Speaking in London, Ballmer praised Microsoft"s own digital rights management technologies, taking the chance to criticise Apple"s own implementation. "We"ve had DRM in Windows for years," he said, "the most common format of music on an iPod is "stolen"." It"s a sign of the increasingly bitter battle between Apple and Microsoft to create the de facto standard for music downloads.
"There is no way that you can get there with Apple," he said, "The critical mass has to come from the PC, or a next-generation video device."