“Ok, by now it’s more or less an open secret that Microsoft is going to shift away from its current model and go straight after the iPod with a portable media player of its own, but we’ve landed some exclusive details about the new player courtesy of a trusted insider who is party to some of the discussions Microsoft is having with potential content partners,” Peter Rojas reports for Engadget.
“To attract current iPod users Microsoft is going to let you download for free any songs you’ve already bought from the iTunes Music Store. They’ll actually scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account. Microsoft will still have to pay the rights-holders for the songs, but they believe it’ll be worth it to acquire converts to their new player,” Rojas reports. “Right now the new player is schedule to launch in November.”
Full article, with a blurry photo, here.
Microsoft’s code name for their iTunes Music Store replacement plan: “Pure Desperation.” Why Microsoft feels the need to “own” every market it sees is beyond us, but it will prove to be their downfall.
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*** This will crew Microsoft ***
Everyone share your Protected AAC files. MS won’t know if they are authorized to play or not. Then convert them over…millions of songs…that MS pays for…then don’t do anything with them. Convert the same songs over and over with multiple accounts. Just to screw with them.
I have nearly 1000 protected AAC files myself. I would love to put them up as a torrent or on LimeWire et al.
What do you all think?
“going to let you download for free any songs you’ve already bought from the iTunes Music Store”
i dont get it?
so the idea just to make itunes song playable on other hardware. but still have to buy from itunes?
If the record Co’s think that allowing MS to be the monopoly is in their best interest instead of Apple, they are asking for a huge dose of “be careful what you wish for”.
Microsoft: Do a million things and do them wrong.
What a great backup plan! I’ll continue to purchase music from iTunes and then have it backed up from Microsoft for free. Goody Goody
Quoting from the article:
“Right now the new player is schedule to launch in November, but our source also tells us that Microsoft isn’t stopping with a WiFi-enabled PMP, they’re actually going to launch an MVNO next year using all Windows Mobile-powered HTC handsets.”
Uhh… LOL. Can anyone tell me WTF they’re saying, beyond the fact that there’s another MS POS on the way?
LMFAO. Lame.
Ohhhh I’m scared…
…for about a whole 2 seconds.
Because everything Microsoft makes is junk.
“To attract current iPod users Microsoft is going to let you download for free any songs you’ve already bought from the iTunes Music Store. They’ll actually scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account. Microsoft will still have to pay the rights-holders for the songs, but they believe it’ll be worth it to acquire converts to their new player,” Rojas reports.
I think this is the best news Apple could get about a competitor.
If, after offering to give away potentially millions of dollars worth of songs, Microsoft’s effort fails, then nobody will come after the iPod again.
“Right now the new player is schedule to launch in November”
Um . . . in light of MS’s track record of announcing products that never come to fruition, it should be mandatory to not speak as if they exist.
Again, they should be focusing their A.D.D. minds on their O.S. Let the experts handle the Pods
me: iTunes knows if your protected AAC files are authenticated or not so moving a bunch of iTunes music into your library won’t work.
ahmad: The idea is to stop buying from iTunes once you have Microshit music.
Wouldn’t this be a violation of antitrust law?
Typical Mafia$oft – if you can’t compete fairly and legally, buy out the competition or run them over with your Monopoly Dumptruck.
To the Microsoft execs:
*Pant pant* *Slobber*Yes so I’ve arranged a deal with the record companies by threatening to start up a monopoly on the records market with amazing new artists like The Sweaty Monkeys and Bill Gates and his Hinges that will take all sales away from existing artists, so I got them to let me have all their music for free…*drools all over shirt*
This means we can offer you Micro$hoft DRMed WAV files at 768kbps uncompressed on our dedicated server with, wait for it….256kbps broadband! This is shared with the entire world, remember, so we don’t have to pay anything for bandwidth hardly, leaving us raking in the $$ from selling our bloatware player….which runs a scaled-down version of Vista on even more scaled down hardware, leaving the consumer with an entertaining 5 minutes start up time every time they want to play music. Oh and, its vulnerable to malware as it has open internet access all ports open, through its WiFi, but its incapable of running anti-malware programs. Also has no format option so they have to buy a new one every so often.
*Pisses himself*
*Goes to have a bath in $50 notes*
I wonder what MSFT is going to do about all the videos and audiobooks that Apple has sold.
This isn’t sounding like a well thought out plan. Casting this rumor into the rumor bin.
I’ll make those dumbasses pay for all my iTunes collection, then trash their music.
I don’t need 2 of everything
This is just like Microsoft. If you can’t beat ’em, lose money until you do!
– Beat Netscape by giving away software (well, it was a novel idea at the time)
– Establish Xbox by selling it at a loss.
– Now give away songs just to try and win people over to their WidoP gadget (upside down and backwards, as always)
Pathetic if true.. but entirely in keeping with their past.
micosoft tried to own every market, what’s next GMO food?
Agreed, this sounds like nothing more than a poorly thought out rumor.
Mr. Ballmer, if you think I’m going to let you secretly replace my premium roast coffee with freeze-dried Folgers Crystals, to quote Judas Priest, you’ve got another thing coming.
MW: means. As in, the ends justify the means in Mafiasoft’s warped view.
As long as Apple maintains high quality, it’s going to be hard for people to go elsewhere. They just won’t want to.
If people have been used to Windows as “good enough,” they’ve gotten a taste of great. Chances are, they’ll stay.
Some trends are empty and shallow and some are trends because their legitimate, culture-wide phenomena based on something real, useful, and interesting. The iPod isn’t a flash in the pan.
Hmm, lemme see if I can do this.
iTunes has sold over a billion songs. Microsoft proposes to allow its users to redownload any AAC-protected songs in WMA format. But the record companies — greedy bastards — certainly won’t buy into a straight-across trade, so MS is gonna have to pay *something* for the new download.
We know that Apple doesn’t make more than about a dime on the dollar for downloads. The record labels get the other $0.90. So, let’s say Microsoft strikes the deal of the century and gets to re-download the songs in WMA format for $0.50.
1 billion songs time $0.50 is, um… 500 million dollars.
And if every one of us iPod users downloads every AAC-protected song in our library from MS on Microsoft’s dime, and then downloads NOTHING ELSE from Microsoft…
Could be a VERY expensive education.
MW “certain” — MS is CERTAIN to regret this ill-conceived decision.
Microsoft should stick to software, which they already do badly enough.
So, this “iPod killer” is going to overheat, crash frequently, get viruses over its WiFi connection, accidentally delete your whole music library once a month and need to have its OS re-installed every week.
Hmmm… okay. Bring it on Microsoft!
http://getkickedoffaplanewearingthis.blogspot.com/
“They’ll actually scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account.”
Shouldn’t I be a little concerned that M$ is offering to “scan” my computer?
What else will they be looking for, or placing there?
Why for god sakes would I want to replace my current songs with the same thing from them? How does this somehow make it any better? I’m sorry but I don’t see any point to it except wasting a lot of bandwith for something I already own and works perfectly. This just doesn’t make any sense at all.
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If this is true, it sounds like Microsoft is trying to beat Apple at it’s own game.
-Apple releases Leopard which will allow users to run their PC apps without Windows.
-Microsoft releases x-player which allows users to listen to their iTunes songs without iTunes or an iPod.
This competition is getting interesting.