I f someone told you to, "mind the gap," in London youid either scratch your pate in confusion, or think it was one of those quaint, but silly, British sayings. Unless youive been to the Underground and have seen the signs, you may not realize your Londoner was being mindful of your safety.
Things are different in Europe, something that Apple has been dealing with as it attempts to bring the iTunes Music Store across the Atlantic. Many European iPod users look enviously eastward at the Yanks who are enjoying digital downloading bliss, while other download services proliferate in Europe.
According to an article in Reuters News, our European friends are still on track to get their version of the iTunes Music Store, though they may have to wait a tad longer then they, our Apple, would like. From the article:
"When we launch in Europe, we want to do it well. There can be no compromise on the ease of use, the depth of the catalogue or the responsiveness (of the Web site)," Appleis European chief Pascal Cagni told Reuters in a telephone interview.
He added that a delay of a few months was acceptable because the store was going to be an important outlet for many years.
"This is going to be so important for the future that a few monthsi delay is not essential," he said.
"But it will come. Absolutely," he added, when asked if he was sticking to the launch target year of 2004.
The full article also offers some information on some of the differences between Appleis iTMS and other European services.