Time Warner is building an iTunes competitor. You know, sometimes I get irked when I see websites use the word “competitor” so loosely. The geniuses at Time Warner Cable have had a long time to think about music and they’ve had a long time to watch Apple’s iTunes and mirror its success. So, they’ve unveiled a service that is:

1. Not iPhone compatible.
2. Not iPod compatible either.
3. Half as many songs as iTunes.
4. Not compatible with Macs at all.
5. Windows Media format only, plus DRM.
6. Subscription only, $9.95 / month

It’ll sell like gangbusters. This competitor is pretty much a license to print money. It’s the lost formula to turn lead into gold. It’s the missing link that will make the Zune sell like hotcakes.