It's not quite the dystopian future of "Children of Men," but imagine a world where Windows Media Player synched with iPods and where Microsoft was forced to say nice things about the Apple gadget.
The disorienting possibility is painted in Microsoft memos unveiled recently at Microsoft antitrust trial. The documents reveal that Microsoft execs were frustrated with the performance of Media Player-friendly music devices, specifically dissing players from Dell and Creative Technologies.-
"I have to tell you my experience with our software and this device Creative's Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra is really terrible," Microsoft executive Jim Allchin wrote in an e-mail message a few years ago. "Apple is just so far ahead. How can we get the (independent hardware makers) to create something that is competitive with the iPod?"
Allchin later suggested cozying up with Steve Jobs, with the eventual end of getting Apple to support Windows Media Player.
Instead, of course, Microsoft addressed the perceived shortcomings of hardware partners by coming out with its own little brick, the not-quite-universally beloved Zune.
Microsoft mulled Apple partnership, iPod rival in 2003 [Computerworld]
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