Hi Bob,
Those Rhaposdy channels accessible via the Fuze sound interesting. .But in the end I just dont think I can get used to renting music… Steve Jobs was commenting on this in one of his many video broadcasts I was watching the other day. One of his main points behind the way iTunes works is that, ‘people just want to own their own music’… I dont know, but for me, I cant get used to renting it. IT almost feels like an affront; like this threat is always hanging over me that if I dont pony up with the subscription money each month, there goes my collection. Just like any other lease, or rental… IT doesnt seem to bother some people, but Im afraid I just cant get used to it. And, its not only that. I mean, after all, if you dont follow the rules, you pay the penalty. So thats not the biggie. The biggie is, what if I reach a temporary point where I find Im just not downloading like I used to; ie, ive found myself sitting pat with the music I already own and have lost the verve fore the constant quest for new tunes… At that point, most people would want to let their subscription lapse… But, of course, with the way this plan works, you let it lapse, you lose EVERYTHING youve ever acquired via it. That kind of indentured servitude is what keeps me from being able to get with the program, Im afraid… For example, a few yrs back, I went on a classical music binge. I built a CD collection of hundreds of Classical CDs mostly from Amazon.com which I played incessantly and exclusively. But, as tastes change, I dont think Ive played more than a couple of those cds in the last two years. But NO Way would I ever want to lose this collection, because, just as likely at some time in the future, Ill want to bring it out of mothballs and revive its appeal for me… Most people’s musical interests ebb and flow. With the rental paradigm, youve got to keep paying, even though you may not be into your collection for several months, but realize that likely in the future, youll be heavily into it again. I think paying that rental fee for me, during these down interest months would be a real albatross. I know many people wouldnt be bothered by this, but clearly, Im not alone in this sentiment.
So, as the alternative, I try and find the least expensive way to own music. Along these lines, check out this website: http://www.gomusic.ru/ . I dont know how they do it, but individual tracks are downloadable for 15 cents per track… You can download either songs, or entire albums at this same per track rate. And, you own it. Ive yet to figure out how they do it, but its about the best deal IVe found, and kind of makes renting loose alot of its cost advantage along with its other inherant disadvantages. Check out the site; search for your favorite artists/albums/tracks, and see if theyre there. Despite the affinity between Fuze and Rhapsody, this might be an alternative in case you ever tire of renting.
Message Edited by boostm3 on 06-24-2008 10:59 AM