as iTunes nears 100,000,000 - what about the IMS killers?
The media has so gleefully reported on the string of iTunes Music Store killers set to topple the Cupertino throne.
What's the status of
1. BuyMusic.com
2. Walmart Music
3. Napster
4. Sony Connect
I know the answer... they're all pretty much DOA, but after seeing Apple get so much bad ink this week over the iMac annoucement; it would be nice to see the media attack these clowns for screwing up so badly with their plans to topple Apple.
What's the status of
1. BuyMusic.com
2. Walmart Music
3. Napster
4. Sony Connect
I know the answer... they're all pretty much DOA, but after seeing Apple get so much bad ink this week over the iMac annoucement; it would be nice to see the media attack these clowns for screwing up so badly with their plans to topple Apple.
Comments
Other branded stores like Bestbuy and Walmart I think will start fading in the next year. Retail outlets will probably start partnering with napster/buymusic [maybe Apple?]. I think it would be cool if Apple could form some kind of alliance with a retail chain - Target? to co-brand the music store to their customers... maybe links on their website that says "Download it now" which takes you to the iTunes store (with Apple and Target logos for people that link from the website).
Apple simply needs to finish the licensing for Japan and the rest of Europe. Get the UK indies on board. Get Canada going and announce kickass iPods 4G.
No one should be worried about Sony. They couldn't develop good software to save their lives. Battery life is the only thing they trump the iPod in and I bet 4G iPods deal with this battery issue once and for all.
p>s> Kip, Apple's fairplay is still closed because iPod doesn't work with other online retailers and iTunes doesn't work with other music players. (Not that I am complaining, iTunes + iPod = good.)
Maybe some Windows user there could give the service a shot and post how ridiculously bad it is.
The article points us to online services that offer 192Kbps bit rate encoding
The NY Times is the last place I will go to find out about audio codecs. When they can pick 192kbps files over 128kbps files in a double blind test with 65% or greater accuracy I will believe them.