This just in: some analysts are complete maroons!

This via Cult of Mac:

Over at Trading Markets, there is a story on how some poor fools who have Windows Media Devices still can't play files from iTunes, because their devices don't support AAC. 

And they blame Apple. 

"Well, the problem is that Apple's 'unprotected files' are in the AAC format, which Windows Media player does not support. But the Zune software does. Unprotected AAC files are not the same as unprotected MP3 files, which eMusic pointed out when it retracted a statement applauding Apple's decision to sell music without digital-rights-management software."

But what about us poor iPod and iTunes users who can't play Windows Media Files on our iPods? Is that the fault of Microsoft, for selling the file, or Apple for not allowing us to play the file?

What was that? Blame Apple, you say. Sure. Because that one is appropriate. But if you are going to blame Apple for not making an iPod that plays WMA files, then blame Microsoft for making Windows Media Player not play AAC audio files. 

I must point out that the Creative Zen X-Fi *does* play AAC files. The trouble that our pundit is having is that Windows Media Player doesn't. 

It'll play MP3 files, which are a proprietary format. It will play WMA format, which are also proprietary. Will it play AAC, which is an open standard, not, as some might think, a proprietary Apple format? No. (It also won't play FLAC and ogg, I bet....don't hear many people complaining about that, though, do we?)

As one commentator over at Cult of Mac says: "So because Windows Media Players are less popular it’s ok for them to only play a proprietary media format, but apple is bad for using a non-proprietary media format that isn’t supported by a proprietary media player?

My head hurts."

Indeed.