Windows’ brand new operating system Vista launched not too long ago after many delays which delayed the final product years after it was originally scheduled to launch.

Apple has put out a warning now to iPod users against Vista stating that the new Microsoft operating system could damage your beloved iPod.

Apple and Microsoft are rivals as most who haven’t been hiding under a rock for the last several years at least already know and with this statement for people not to upgrade to Vista is based on the fact that Apple has failed to make their popular iTunes software compatible with Vista yet.

Apple has managed to sell 90 million iPods since 2001 and stated that many customers have had issues in terms of connecting their iPod to their PCs using Vista.

The claims by Apple state that songs bought on the iTunes Store will not play on the new operating system and that other Vista users have had their iPods completely corrupted when they went to unplug them.

“iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP.

“Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the Safely Remove Hardware feature may corrupt your iPod.”

Microsoft has already stepped up and released a software update for Vista users to play their iTunes Store songs but Apple is still warning not to use Vista until they can come out with a completely new version of the iTunes software.

Apple’s website states: “Apple recommends that customers wait to upgrade Windows until after the next release of iTunes which will be available in the next few weeks.”

The next few weeks is not very broad of a timeframe and it seems a little crazy that with the number of delays in which Microsoft has had for its OS Vista that Apple surely could have had enough time to get iTunes all ready to go on launch day for the Vista operating system. There is no telling whether or not it was not ready to try and take some of the early steam away from the operating system Microsoft worked for years on or if they were simply too lazy to get it out in time.

Either way iPod users can relax at least for now as it seems that Apple is working away, though slowly, to get you up to speed with a Vista version of iTunes.