“Apple Computer is making catcalls over Microsoft’s musical talents. The creator of the trendsetting iPod music player and iTunes music service on Thursday took its on-again-off-again rival to task for the new MSN Music download service, saying it has fewer features and fewer songs than the market-leading iTunes,” Ina Fried reports for CNET News. “‘It’s biggest problem may be that its downloaded songs can not play on the iPod,’ said Eddie Cue, Apple’s vice president of applications.”
Much more here.
What do you think? MSN Musci Vs iTunes:
http://www.yeald.com/Yeald/a/30281/quick_survey__is_msn_music_as_good_as_itunes.html
I give MSN Music about 2 weeks before some 14 year old figures out how to infect the whole thing with some previously unheard of trojan, virus or whatever.
Oh… wait a minute…. It’s music won’t play on an iPod? …. but I want an iPod for Christmas… I heard it works with Windows
“The iTunes Music Store is currently selling over 16 million songs per month (a rate of 200 million songs per year),” the company said in a statement. “How many songs will Microsoft’s new online music store sell during its first month?”
This is HUGE news!! That means that iTMS is now selling at an average rate of 4 million songs per week!
What? only 4 million songs a week? it took buymusic to reach that goal in just over a year
As tempting as it was, Apple should not have taken any PR jabs at Microsoft and just be the “better man” and welcome the competition.
Two stores can exist. Why not? iTunes for the iPod and MSN for the rest. I find it interesting that only one of the supported players, the one that looks the most iPod-like is the one featured on the main page. Won’t the other WMA device makers get jealous about this?
Way to go Apple!! Now, let’s see some TV commercials that say something like, “Microsoft’s Music Store Sux.”
As a Mac user I have to agree with this review:
http://www.mac360.com/index.php/mac360/more/first_look_microsofts_music_store_beta_site_it_works/
There’s no way Microsoft can promote that Music Store and have it compared with Apple’s. HP represents about 25% of PC market share and they’ll be selling iPods and every HP PC will have iTunes ready to run from the gitgo. Of course, Dell has about 50% market share and they sell the Dell DJ. Whoopteedoo!
Unless Microsoft has another rabbit to pull out of the hat, this round belongs in Uncle Steve’s new corner.
If the featured WMA player is the one that looks closest to the iPod, it is like buying a “rolex” on the street as opposed to the real thing. It’s an iPod fugazzi! It all works out in Apple’s favor.
Support Microsoft Research & Development…
Buy AAPL
eon,
You actually bothered to even look at the store. I only use IE to upgrade XP. I use it way too often.
IE is a virus magnet piece of crap…doncha wish you could use Safari ?
“Ask kids in the back of a car on a two-hour trip, ‘Hey, would you like to have your videos there?’ My kids would,” Gates said. “I guess Steve’s kids just listen to Bach and Mozart. But mine, they want to watch ‘Finding Nemo.’ I don’t know who made that, but it’s really a neat movie.”
Okay, much as you might dislike Bill Gates, that was funny.
I don’t get MS’s complaint. Every Windows user can use his or her iPod with iTunes on their PC.
Alternatively, those Windows users who would rather use MS’s music store exclusively won’t buy iPods, because they know (or ought to know) that MSN does not support iPods.
Basically, you get the same music but from one of two different stores. I don�t hear Burger King complaining that MacDonalds won�t let BK use McD�s special sauce on the Whopper.
The folks in Redmond need to check out their ground water. I think it may be contaminated with high concentrations of stupid.
The mac360.com website confirms the MSN music store is not only web-based, but it’s Active-X based.
Viruses and Worms will be beating a path to this door.
MacSmiley …..
Shame on you for saying “Viruses and Worms will be beating a path to this door.” …..
It may be true…. and, sure, its funnier than hell…. but the PeeCee trolls who view these pages just might get offended…
On the other hand …. Who cares ??
speaking of viruses ….
heres something thats also funnier than hell !!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/23/peeping_tom_worm
I’ll just take my Beta video recorder and smash it up because it’s not compatible with VHS tapes.
As before, this situation with MS will only fragment the on-line music market, much like Beta/VHS, or more recently, DVD-R and DVD+R.
One with either a) die b) be assimilated.
Will Apple win? Who knows. They’ve won one round so far. Now for round two.
Microsoft has big money and muscle and pulling power, so I don’t think for a minute that Apple will have an easy ride. Apple meanwhile has style power and star power (in Steve
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Despite what some say, Apple’s situation appears on the outside to be limited choice – one iPod manufacturer, one Music Store compatible with it. If you wanna buy on-line music for an iPod you have to go to iTunes Music Store, and if you want to buy music from iTunes Music Store, you have to buy an iPod to play it (or use iTunes.)
People love choice tho, and Microsoft offers that illusion. There are 70+ devices which work with their store. Yes, just like a million different computers can run Windows. Great. But they’re all running something from Microsoft. What happens if someone else opens up a store to offer music for those 70 devices? Can it be done? Can I buy a song for the same money?
Perhaps Apple should bankroll another company which is a “competitor” to the iPod (i.e. works with iTunes music store) so consumers have a “choice”. Crazy idea, but may just work. Look at how many things are available in the supermarket which are owned by a couple of big companies? It looks like choice doesn’t it? But is it?
If Apple loses this market to Microsoft, then once again, “averageness” will rule, thanks to $Bill Gates. He doesn’t really care if a product is great or if it sucks, all he wants is your money. And if a product is perceived “good enough”, he’ll get it.
Regarding his “Finding Nemo” comment – typically ignorant Gates.
Does he know yet who originally said “Good artists copy, great artists steal”?
And if you’re reading Bill, it was Pablo Picasso, that really neat painter dude.
And Finding Nemo was made by Pixar, you know, that really neat drawing company run by your pal Steve. No, Jobs, not Ballmer.
“….Perhaps Apple should bankroll another company which is a “competitor” to the iPod (i.e. works with iTunes music store) so consumers have a “choice”…..”
uhhhh …. thats EXACTLY what Mr Hewlet and Mr Packard thought !!
The Microsoft store is too limiting. It doesn’t work on Macintosh, and it doesn’t work with iPod.
If it’s not an iPod, well, it’s just not the real thing. There’s iPod, and then there’s the other stuff.
Music that I’ve bought on iTunes can be played on my PowerBook G4, my iPod, my Windows PC, and my PowerMac G5- no problem.
All I want to know is….why is there an ad at the top of this page for Napster?!
Apple is not successful because of iTMS, it is because of iPod.
People do not buy iPods so they can use iTMS. iPod was a success well before there was ANY store. iTMS is there to support iPod music download and not let iPod users have to wander and dig around to get the music they want.
Wow, Mac Dood. That is one nasty virus. Glad the isight comes with a lens cover just in case
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I think that future iPods with have video out capability. That way you could download or buy a movie and put it on the iPod and play it out of that into a cheap third party (or Apple for that matter) screen. As they advance in codecs they should be able to get the size of a film down to a more managable downloadable level and that is when it will take off.
And the No. 1 of the Top Ten Reasons why you shouldn’t use the MSN music store is … [drum roll] …
Plays for sure NOT on your iPod!
Mac Dood you are correct.
However, I was thinking of something un-iPod ish.