I'm beginning to believe that as Apple enters the mainstream, it will slowly but surely turn into Microsoft.

Case in point: the EU is accusing them of anti-competitive practices because of how they bundle their software

Pressure on Apple has been building, with consumer rights organizations from Germany, France, Finland and Norway recently agreeing a joint position in their battles against iTunes.

They argue that Apple uses digital rights technology to limit consumers' free use of songs bought on iTunes, including the ability to copy and transfer songs to other users and other MP3 devices besides the Apple iPod.

It's not that bad right now - these are just consumer groups, not the DOJ-equivalent government agencies that went after Microsoft for putting Windows Media Player into Windows. The head of that agency, though, had this to say:

Do you think it's fine that a CD plays in all CD players but that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don't. Something has to change

A spokeswoman said these were her personal views, not those of the Commission. Still, ITMS and the iPod have certainly been noticed over in the EU...