Can Apple iTunes be unseated as the top podcasting client by Microsoft ? An immediate response would be in the negative since Microsoft has decided against providing native podcasting support in both Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Vista.Earlier this year, Geoff Harris of the Windows Media Player Team has given some strong hints that Windows Media Player 11 will include support for podcasting - "We hear you and you can rest assured that we’re working on something. We know it’s important and are huge fans of podcasting. "
Unfortunately, podcasting fans won't find a a podcast aggregator into Vista when it's released early next year. Microsoft is more focussed on shipping Vista in time rather than building new podcasting features.
Aaron Coldiron, a Microsoft product manager, told reporters at the recently concluded Podcasting Expo that Microsoft would rely on third-party developers to make podcast publishing and listening easier in Windows Vista, media player and Internet browser.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a feature set that deals directly with podcasts," Coldiron said. "There's a ton of stuff we would like to add, but we are focused now on shipping a good product."
Microsoft Podcasting Arsenal - Photostory, Windows Movie Maker, Smartphones.
