A commenter, Grant, notes that Apple is pushing a Mobile Me Control Panel Preference Panel to users of Microsoft’s Windows XP and Vista operating systems with the updated iTunes 7.7.1 installer. 

As a Mac OS 10.5 Leopard user I am familiar with the Mobile Me (formally .Mac) preference panel in System Preferences and so at first didn’t understand what Grant was talking about.

In Mac OS, the Mobile Me preference panel (for unregistered users) shows up a little like this:

While over on the Windows XP side of life the Control Panel icon launches a window a little like this:

Without a doubt the Windows panel is much uglier.  That aside, is it cool for Apple to be adding Control Panel options to your computer for a product you may not even use?  For the record, the iTunes installer didn’t even ask if I wanted the Panel to be added:

If you ask me (which I’ll assume you have), Apple is pushing forward with a plan to litter the world with Apple products and branding.  With Apple stickers everywhere, Safari on the PC, Mobile Me in the “Cloud” and countless references to Apple in Disney Pixar’s movies it is only a matter of time before Cupertino invade!

Personally, I’m thinking about signing up for a Mobile Me account - just to try it out.  But untill then, I’ll stick with Exchange Server and it’s Windows Mobile, iPhone and real ‘Push’ support.