In an online editorial for The HuffingtonPost.com, former RIAA Chairman/CEO Hilary Rosen questions the business tactics of Apple and asks why the iPod is only compatible with songs purchased from iTunes. Rosen writes, "I spent 17 years in the music business the last several of which were all about pushing and prodding the painful development of legitimate on-line music. Now, the music fan is on the cusp of riches in their options." She lists the number of online digital music stores and points out that most other portable devices are compatible with all online stores.

However, while iTunes purchases only work on an iPod, "those other music sites have lots of music that you can’t get at the iTunes store. So, if you have an iPod, you are out of luck." Rosen complements Apple founder Steve Jobs for getting things started with the digital music revolution, but adds, "keeping the iTunes system a proprietary technology to prevent anyone from using multiple (read Microsoft) music systems is the most anti-consumer and user unfriendly thing [Jobs] can do. Is this the same Jobs that railed for years about the Microsoft monopoly? Is taking a page out of their playbook the only way to have a successful business? If he isn’t careful Bill Gates might just Betamax him while the crowds cheer him on. Come on Steve – open it up."