Apple products experienced a whole range of issues when it comes to Windows Vista compatibility, as no doubt users of iTunes and iPods on Microsoft's latest operating system have noticed. And while Apple is pouring its heart and soul into building the iPhone, Microsoft has come to the rescue and made available for download a final compatibility update for iPods running on Vista.

By comparison, Apple has completely given up on its users, and let the Redmond Company deal with the issue. "Ejecting iPod from Windows Explorer or by using the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature in Windows Vista may corrupt your iPod. Microsoft is working on a software update for Windows Vista which addresses this compatibility issue. Apple recommends Windows Vista customers who own an iPod to install this software update when it becomes available. "To always safely eject an iPod, choose Eject iPod from the Controls menu within iTunes," reads an excerpt on Apple's official website from an article entitled "iTunes and Windows Vista."

Disconnecting an iPod from Windows Vista by using anything else than the commands available within the iTunes menu could result in the corruption of the digital media player. According to Microsoft, the Safely Remove Hardware feature and Eject command in Windows Explorer, when used to disconnect the iPod, result in the corruption of the device.

"Today we're publishing at the Microsoft Download Center a recommended final compatibility update for users of Windows Vista and the Apple iPod; this same update will be automatically available via Windows Update on Tuesday 22 May. The release is for users worldwide and works with the latest version of Apple iTunes to correct an issue that caused some iPods to become corrupted when ejecting them using Windows Explorer or the "Safely Remove Hardware" function in the System Tray," revealed Nick White, Microsoft Product Manager.

However, Microsoft is not taking all the credits for the Vista iPod compatibility update. White added that the Redmond Company has partnered with Apple in order to deliver the best user experience possible with Windows Vista, iTunes and iPod.