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[crowfan]

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,112672,00.asp

MusicMatch -- the software that ships with Windows iPods -- launches a digital-download music service. But the format is WMA, so, theoretically, if I use MMJB to transfer tunes to my iPod (which I don't), and I buy a song from MusicMatch's site, I can't put it on my iPod....

<<crowfan scratches his head>>

Am I missing something?

[Kurt Young]

I think it's obvious to MusicMatch that they'll be losing Apple soon.  Apple has made no bones about the fact that they're working on iTunes for Windows.  Though I haven't heard Steve Jobs come out and say it, I'm laying odds that Windows iPods will soon make the "switch" from MMJB to iTfW.

So, from MMJB's point of view, who cares that you can't use their new store to stock your iPod?  They've already lost the iPod contract, so they're focusing instead on all of the other portable players that come bundled with MMJB (many of which support WMA), along with all of their OEM contracts.

I browsed MMJB's new store.  Looks, feels, and plays just like the iTunes Music Store.  There will most certainly be a long line of copycats; it's a great model for some, and about damned time consumers started to see something other than litigation from this industry.  That's a totally different rant, of course.

[crowfan]

That makes alot of sense. I just can't believe they're so willing to lose the customer base that they already have. Obviously iPods will work with iTunes, but I would think they would at least want to retain the customers that they already have. There are plenty of people (especially those who are less computer-savvy) who get used to doing things a certain way and don't want to switch. They're being forced away. In the end, I absolutely agree with the reasoning presented above, I was just a little surprised by it....

Anyhow, the store itself looks great, it seems to have a lot of selection and the DRM seems the same as Apple's, which is pretty lenient. Now to see what JRiver might have in store for us.....



crow