05-24-2003, 09:54 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Microsoft Prepares Reply To iTunes
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-1009794.html
Anxiously waiting for 99� music downloads that you own and can easily transfer to your Pocket PC or other music player?
"While Apple Computer grabs publicity for its new 99 cent music download store, Microsoft is quietly preparing for a counterattack by improving its own technology for supporting subscription music services."
Sound good so far? Read on. "Microsoft is betting that new security enhancements planned for later this year could make renting music, rather than owning it, more attractive to consumers."
Wrong. Microsoft's DRM team clearly doesn't get what consumers want. You would think they would take a look at the ebook market where Palm Digital Media, formerly known as Peanut Press, is cleaning their clock, both in sales and fulfilling customer wants. It is only anecdotal evidence, but I can count on one finger the number of people I know that regularly buy Microsoft Reader format ebooks protected with DRM5. I can't count the number of people I know that use Palm Reader. No "Passport" required, no activation and most importantly, no hassles. Now they want me to rent my music?
I don't think so. :evil:
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05-24-2003, 10:06 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 86
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Microsoft is on this "renting" kick. They think that consumers want to rent or lease everything. (Look at the auto market - leasing isn't for everyone!).
Case in point - Microsoft recently sent me an email in regards to this wonderful $299 deal (the Microsoft "Action Pack"), in which you get:
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
SQL Server
Exchange
Win2k Advanced Server
and 10 licenses of the following:
Windows XP Pro
Office XP Pro
Visio 2002 Pro
Mappoint 2003
Frontpage 2003
Project 2003
Outlook 2003
Publisher 2003
Actually, if one reads the EULA, you only get the rights to the licenses while you pay your $299. You're renting them for 1 year....that's it.
Link is here: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=150526
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05-24-2003, 10:14 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043
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BWAH HA HA HA HA!!! Keep DReaMing Microsoft. Good grief. I be stickin' to �book of late, as lots and lots.... and lots of stuff is available in HTML and TXT format, and �book reads it in a ZIP, and prettier than MS Reader to boot.
Now they want to further control how I listen to music, not just read? Must be a joke. I think this one's right up there with the eCrapper scam. They'll invest way too much effort in getting this launched, then realise from feedback that people are a bit smarter outside the offices in Redmond and actually know how to use a line-out if need be to copy their CD content into whatever compressed format they prefer. Maybe they are trying to tap into the vast AOL member market? 
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Gerard Ivan Samija
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05-24-2003, 10:21 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 16
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Quote:
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They think that consumers want to rent or lease everything.
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Unfortunately, the more accurate statement is probably "Microsoft wants consumers to rent or lease everything".
Their desire (and that of many other corporations) is to have as much as possible based on a constant revenue stream. So they are constantly pushing these subscription-based services. You need only look at what Microsoft did to corporate customers when they went to Software Assurance 6.0 which forced companies to move to a subsciption based model.
My agency immediately purchased all the licenses we'd need (Before SA 6 went into effect) for the next several years just to avoid the hassles of constantly revisting the issue. My boss was not happy about the cost (approximately $2 million) but the savings of not having to keep going back to Microsoft were too high to ignore.
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05-24-2003, 10:29 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by SteveNYC
Unfortunately, the more accurate statement is probably "Microsoft wants consumers to rent or lease everything".
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Precisely. When I first spotted this news item earlier today, I thought they were planning on going with more of a monthly subscription but get X number of MP3 downloads included type of deal. But I guess they aren't even planning on let you keep those downloads for good, just have them be playable for a certain amount of time? The former I could live with (assuming the price was right), the latter I could not.
Scott
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Tapland
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05-24-2003, 10:33 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 652
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Obviously Microsoft doesn't listen to it's customers. They are only making their own lives easier. Renting of all things is just another form of control they wish to have. Forces updates and keeping track of customers unwillingly. Soon you won't be able to modify any settings to fit your own needs. If you can't own it, it's not worth having in the first place.
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Making use of mobile tech like no other.
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05-24-2003, 10:51 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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Hold the phone! (No pun intended). Ed's using his PPC coupled with a Nokia 3650 (Symbian) device? Say it aint so.
Scott
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Tapland
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05-24-2003, 10:56 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 33
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And the band played on...
As a PowerMac owner and user, I have bought from the Apple iTunes store and it is a great buying experience...Priced reasonably and fast downloads. And after you download the song, the restrictions placed on the file are minimal. Steve Jobs continues to be a creative genius! 8) He trusts the computer user to not pirate or steal and empowers us.
On the other hand, MS staggers along trying to implement Draconian DRM restrictions and subscriptions. How pathetic. Gates and Balmer are like the nutso emperors that resulted in the fall of the Roman empire. Like Rome, MS has had its day, but this restrictive "subscription" DRM blah blah blah is going to rot their pathetic company to the core. I'm gonna love watching the ******** go down in flames too! :twisted:
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05-24-2003, 11:11 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Scott R
Hold the phone! (No pun intended). Ed's using his PPC coupled with a Nokia 3650 (Symbian) device? Say it aint so.
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The 3650 is not Symbian, or at least it bares absolutely no resemblance to the OS the P800 has. This phone rocks! So much better than my old t68.
Now, 5 demerits for the OT drift. :wink:
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05-24-2003, 11:19 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 206
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How long do you think till somebody post a crack for the DRM5?
:roll:
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Linear Mode
