Microsoft's Windows Phone is severely trailing in market share, regardless of the desktop platform being used, but at least the software giant is making an effort to connect with Mac users. It has just released the second major version of the Apple Connector software. This allows you to sync media files like music, pictures, and video with your Windows Phone.

While still not as seamless as what Windows users have for syncing through the Zune software, this is much better than what Windows Mobile had, which was nothing. There are a number of improvements according to the Windows Phone Blog. Key improvements include:

-- Full sync and import support for Apple's Aperture photo software;
-- Ability to browse the device and drag and drop files from there;
-- Custom ringtone support, once the phone has Mango;
-- Windows Phone Marketplace support, which also requires the phone have Mango on it;
-- Improved backup and restore;
-- Configuration for podcast sync and photo import; and
-- Additional 13 languages supported and for some exiting languages, there is improved iTunes sync support.

Note that when syncing with the iTunes music library, digital rights management (DRM) protected files won't play since Windows Phone doesn't understand how to read Apple's DRM files. Your files should all be in MP3 format anyway. It is one way to guarantee they can always be played in the future, regardless of the platform.

What I'd really like to see Microsoft do is make Zune desktop software for the Mac. Apple makes some incredible software, but iTunes is one of the worst apps I am forced to put up with. It amazes me that Apple continues to distribute this software. It is as if, in order to maintain some sort of balance and offset the fantastic design of most of its software, Apple decided to put out a piece of software with the worst user interface imaginable. If that was its goal, it succeeded.

That said, I wonder what percentage of Windows Phone users have a Mac as their primary machine? I would think it is a very small number, but judging by comments in the App Store and Windows Phone Blog, it definitely isn't zero.

Apple Connector 2.0 is available for free in the iTunes App Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and works with all Windows Phone 7 and Zune HD devices.