iTunes is the defacto standard Jukebox software in the world. It’s ready availability and tight integration with ipod coupled with the excellent quality in design and stability have made resulted in 300 Million copies of the software installed. With over 90% of the installations on Windows this provides a platform beachhead that will open the value of Apple TV as a quick and inexpensive ($289 at costco) step to take to access their photo, music and video libraries on the Television.

Walt Mossberg says it well in his article on Wall Street Journal Online: (requires subscription) Personal Technology - WSJ.com

“… in the past few years, Apple has mounted a sneak attack on the Windows world. Its weapon has been the Windows version of iTunes, the free media organizing, recording and playback program that most people think of as just a companion to Apple’s iPod music and video players. I think of iTunes as the most subversive software on the Windows computer, not because it does users any harm or does anything underhanded, but because it is allowing Apple to subvert, from inside, Microsoft’s dominant platform position.”