Release iTunes for Windows 98 and Millennium Edition

iTunes for Windows, along with the accompanying iPod software was released recently; however Apple Computer failed to realize that releasing the software exclusively for Windows 2000 and XP left many iPod users and music downloaders out, namely users who use Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (ME).
We beileve that this is a serious mistake on Apple's part, for several reasons:

1. Windows 98 and ME users are still without a reliable legal music service. (For the record, the BuyMusic.com music store will work on the affected Windows platforms; however this store has been proven unreliable and uses proprietary Windows Media Audio files, which will not play on an Apple iPod digital music player.)

2. Due to the lack of a reliable, legal download service for Windows 98/ME, most of those users who could be legally purchasing and downloading music from Apple's iTunes Music Store are likely to use a file-sharing program such as KaZaA or Limewire to illegaly download copyrighted music.

3. Due to no support on Windows 98/ME, many users of these Operating Systems that own iPods are stuck using non-Apple third-party utilities. Without being Apple certified, when third-party software is used to connect the iPod to a Windows 98/ME PC, users run a slight, but existent, risk of damaging the iPod, and the liability will be the responsibility of the user him or herself, even though the damage was not intentionally caused by the user.

In light of these reasons, we, the undersigned, are petitioning for Apple Computer, Inc. to support the Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition Operating Systems with their iTunes and iPod software. Doing so will promote the legal purchasing of digital music online and help iPod users who run the affected Operating Systems more efficiently and with less risk of damaging their investment in an Apple product.