Sometimes I HATE Apple!

Those who've read my previous posts know that I prefer to us Apple's OS X operating system to any other unix or Windows system. Me and millions of others, so I'm in good company. However, I run Windows and Linux where needed, and on my desk at work (right next to where I plug in my Mac Pro 17" notebook) is my Windows machine.

As a .mac subscriber (excuse me... Mobile Me now), one of the benefits I have is a small cloud based storage drive called iDisk. While I have other cloud based solutions, the iDisk is useful... Sort of a cloud based USB thumb drive that many Mac and iPod Touch applications automatically recognize.

Anyway, for years I've run a program on my Windows machines that Apple provided to let me mount my iDisk as a Windows drive. Very simple, small, free and convenient.

So I go to get it for my Windows 7 desktop at work... and it is now integrated into the Windows Mobile Me control panel. Then I go find and download that application. Only to find out that it only works when iTunes is installed! Huh? This is nothing but a webdav application... it has nothing to do with nor should it need ipod/iphone/music/video capabilities!

Now don't get me wrong, While iTunes is a decent program and Quicktime is a decent media player, this desktop is NOT a multimedia machine! The machine has no reason to have iTunes. Being forced to download and install iTunes and hence QuickTime (even for free) is behavior more like I've come to expect from Microsoft!

This latest stumble on Apple's part is a continuation of their efforts to join Microsoft as one of the most annoying and disliked companies in the world.