iTunes for Windows is here

As expected, Apple launched its iTunes for Windows service today, giving Windows users the same access Mac aficionados have had for a few months. A client application must be downloaded (19 megabytes) for users to acecss the service. iTunes offers its catalog of some 400,000 songs in the AAC format, though the iTunes application can catalog and manage MP3 files. AAC should be fine for those that just want to download and burn CDs or listen locally on their PC. And if you have an iPod you can take it with you, but most other Windows-compatible portable devices do not support the format. (You can burn a CD, then re-rip the songs in another format.) And for those of you without Windows 2000 or XP, you’re out of luck. Read more reaction to the news on Metafilter and Mac Observer.