Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Don't kid yourself, the risk of losing your content is lower because iTunes is so big, but if it does go away, how will you authenticate new Macs?
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Well, here's my point -- all Apple needs to authorize. If the store goes away but the authorization servers are up, I'm still okay. With subscription content, if the store goes away, the ability to download subscription content is gone, and whatever subscriptions you've had are out the window... and without PFS, there isn't an alternative way to load subscription content on the Zune.
The key point here is that one of the main Zune advantages over the iPod is the ability to play subscription content. I love that idea. But it's all predicated, now, on the presence of the Zune Marketplace. I don't have an alternative, and my existing Rhapsody subscription becomes useless if I buy a Zune, and I have to trust Microsoft to keep it up. I understand that they're in for the long haul... on the other hand, that's what I thought they were doing with PFS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
But it DOES still work! PlaysForSure tracks will still work on any PlaysForSure device from Creative, iRiver, Samsung, and others.
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Oh, I understand that. But it goes against the whole marketing spin towards PFS when it first came out. "Don't lock yourself into the horrible Apple monopoly! Buy PFS! It will be forward compatible with Windows Media devices coming out from now on! Vote for freedom!"
And, yet, now we have Microsoft's
own flagship media device, and it doesn't play PFS. No, they didn't contractually violate what they promised. But I find it extremely disappointing nevertheless. You know what I would have liked? Zune as a flagship player that
did support PFS, opening the gateway to both Zune and other device success. That would have been a model that might have encouraged me to transition away from the closed iPod ecosystem. Now... what's my choice? Apple's closed model, Microsoft's closed model, or everyone else. This just made the situation worse, not better.
And then take the position of the Sandisks, the Samsungs, etc. Microsoft is essentially now a competitor to them, and worse: Microsoft is
locking in consumers to a product that will essentially convince the user
never to adopt a PFS solution. I haven't looked closely at the Rhapsody-Sandisk deal, but I think it's entirely possible the PFS market will now fragment into a ton of closed solutions. In this case, all the small closed solutions will die, leaving just Apple and Microsoft. Bah!
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I am quite curious as to WHY the Zune isn't PlaysForSure...hmm. That will make a good front page rant. 
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Yes.
I'd love to hear from MS if there was a technical reason involved, or if it was strictly business. If it's the latter, I'm not thrilled about it. I've heard the "we tried PFS, but it failed", but I'm not convinced. If Microsoft sold and marketed an awesome flagship PFS player with a nicely-customized PFS store, I think it could do comparably to the closed Zune model. That's my two cents, at least -- unless, as I mentioned, there was a technical reason.
--janak
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