[White Knight]

Microsoft's iPod/iTunes killer?

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5183692.html

You will for the first time give portable digital music players (DAP needs to have onboard clock) access to tunes rented via all-you-can-eat subscription services for $10 per month.

 

[blessingx]

I hope it works if some like it. I'm personally with Jobs on this one.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has been the most prominent proponent of the pay-per-download model, saying that consumers want to own, not rent, their music.

Reminds me (and others on a different site) a bit of the DVD v. DIVX debate, but we'll see. Wonder what the bitrates will be?

 

[Skeeve]

I think the two models could actually complement each other in this instance, in the same way that you buy some films and rent others, this system would give you that option.

 

[Sweet Spot]

Wow. What a truly scary looking future with MS trying to shove their proprietary BS down everyone's throats. All of this, needs to go away IMO.

 

[Ryan1524]

i see this as not MS trying to compete, but simply using their money to try and kill the iTMS. evil. MS has never had any interest on a music service before until Apple started it. why do they suddenly care so much??

 

[stark23x]

I'm not an MS basher, but damn...this is not what music consumers want.

Looks like we'll all be limping our MP3s into the next decade...

 

[Sweet Spot]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ryan1524 i see this as not MS trying to compete, but simply using their money to try and kill the iTMS. evil. MS has never had any interest on a music service before until Apple started it. why do they suddenly care so much??

Dude, you're sort of answering your own question. Bill can't stand someone else making money off of something that he thinks his empire should have been reaping profits from. Either way, it doesn't matter whose company it is....the thing that disturbs me about any of these services is how they dictate to consumers exactly what they see fit. Sorry, but that part about knowing what the consumers want was the biggest pack of ******** I've heard today.

If it were really up to the consumers, things would be much different. It's natural for these market studies to show that a consumer would want x, y, or z because of sales reports, but if you give the consumer only so many options to deal with, it's also natural that one of those options is going to be taken advantage of, it's just a matter of compromise.

The right thing to do, would be for someone in the business to do a world wide survey poll, with the option to fill in your own option. But alas, that won't ever happen. We only have so much input in these matters. They give us 'just enough' to stay interested, and then lead us by our wallets (straight to this damned site apparently !) to their lairs for the kill.

I'm officially slain.

 

[e-r0ck]

ah well, dont use it.

 

[Dylan]

Quote:

Originally posted by blessingx I hope it works if some like it. I'm personally with Jobs on this one. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has been the most prominent proponent of the pay-per-download model, saying that consumers want to own, not rent, their music.

Jobs is right but, unfortunately, his own service doesn't satisfy that condition. I don't consider it "owning" the music if I have to abide by the DRM rules. If I can't do what I want with it then I don't own it. The only differences between these services are the particular rules of their DRM. None of them provide ownership as I define it.

So given that all the legal music download options are restrictive, I find Microsoft's buffet style plan to be quite appealing. I have my doubts that it will really come to market as an unlimited plan for $10. But if it did and I had compatible portable devices I would be very interested. Imagine how much new music I could explore that I would never do if I was paying $10+ for each CD.

 

[Tolovana]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dylan So given that all the legal music download options are restrictive, I find Microsoft's buffet style plan to be quite appealing. I have my doubts that it will really come to market as an unlimited plan for $10. But if it did and I had compatible portable devices I would be very interested. Imagine how much new music I could explore that I would never do if I was paying $10+ for each CD.

What he said. I have over 1000CD (and 1200 vinyl) recordings. If I could just download each week, day, whatever, from their giant collection, without having to rip, store, backup, etc all the stuff I've already bought, then it would be worth it to me. (The 120gig drive holding all my previously ripped music died, and it had not been backed up!) The fact that I could get stuff that I didn't own on 'loan' would just be icing on the cake. It would be especially attractive if they had loads of old stuff, like emusic does. I used to use emusic all the time - and all the unreplacable stuff on my drive was from them. Since they switched to severly limiting downloads, I don't use them anymore.

Carol

 

[NightWoundsTime]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sweet Spot Wow. What a truly scary looking future with MS trying to shove their proprietary BS down everyone's throats. All of this, needs to go away IMO.

I'm sick of hearing the word Proprietary in relation to microsoft. Think about this for a sec: What if all your non computer savvy friends & family members had to track down software to watch streaming video/listen to music/browse the internet? As it is now, I know a 70 year old who consistenly asks me about downloading music and how to use Kazaa, iTunes, and even Soulseek. If Microsoft packaged a program I know he'd be perfectly capable of using it himself.

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally posted by NightWoundsTime I'm sick of hearing the word Proprietary in relation to microsoft.

I am never averse to simple truths.

Not a single MS product has intruded my life for several years now, and I hope it stays that way. They just do not feel good.

On topic, I would say that more choice is always good, but sadly choice and MS in one sentence make an antagonism. It it not that DRMd to the brink WMA would not count as an option, I think there are even people who like the idea, whyever; but sadly, whatever MS touches runs out of choice in a very short time.
I am not in the position to tell anyone what to choose, but I think I have the right to pity those who make a decision that I feel is wrong.

I personally am not the download-listener at all, I do not see me paying almost the same price for compressed music with no real medium. I would much rather pay for internet-radio-streams of categories I like, or digital satellite radio, just because it would mean that I would be presented with new music without the hassle of having to choose / search for it myself. It's not that I'm lazy or sth....

I think any of these subscripition things just suck money, whether you use them or not, and I am satisfied with the iTMS 30secs for now when pre-testing albums I intend to buy.

 

[TheMuffinMan_01]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ryan1524 i see this as not MS trying to compete, but simply using their money to try and kill the iTMS. evil. MS has never had any interest on a music service before until Apple started it. why do they suddenly care so much??

hmmmmmm, could it be that people like money?

if they can do it better, than great! the only reason someone would be against that is if they are an apple fanboy...