Just to stir some thoughts up here, I would like to point at, as a long time user of legal Windows Media DRM content, I’ve seen alot of DRM music stores come and go…
Liquid Audio quit their distribution business around the same day iTunes came to Windows. (I think they still have Wal-Mart Digital Downloads, though.)
Virgin Digital quit the business in the U.S.
MusicNow was acquired by Circuit City, merged into AOL Music Now, then was discontinued and merged into Napster.
MTV’s URGE service, fedup with Microsoft’s Zune efforts, is basically folding into Rhapsody in the next few months.
C-TRAX, a college based music provider discontinued their services entirely.
Sony CONNECT is still in limbo. (It’s not a Windows Media DRM provider, but it proves my point in continuing music stores their existance.)
MusicMatch Downloads merged into Yahoo Music Unlimited and software discontinued.
See my point?
Now for subscription services (in the U.S.) we still have:
Real Rhapsody
Napster
Yahoo Music Unlimted
F.Y.E. To Go
Ruckus
What’s to keep Yahoo from giving up on Yahoo Music Unlimited and making the Sansa Connect unusable?
(What to keep Yahoo from thinking something dumb, like they can’t compete against iTunes and close the store down? Others have!!! Yahoo Is No Different…)
Would Sandisk be willing to update the firmware to another provider, like RealNetworks if it came time for the bridge to be crossed? Or would we haft to buy an updated Sansa Connect?
I’d think when you make a device such as this and brand the entire firmware with a Y!, you take into consideration those little things.
Curiously, since Sandisk already has a working relationship with RealNetworks on the e200R series, why didn’t they go with Rhapsody instead of Yahoo when they worked with Zing, to design the Sansa Connect?
RealNetworks thinks Windows Media DRM dying a slow and painful death as it is, and I tend to agree, because of Microsoft’s very own Zune ambitions and aspirations. That’s why they’re trying to “buddy buddy up” with the likes of Sandisk & iRiver to bring their Rhapsody DNA platform (Helix DRM) to portable devices, thus replacing Windows Media DRM. And since record labels are considering DRM-free music, I’m sure Real intends to use use Rhapsody DNA to drive the continued use of the subscription platform with future content providers, interested in offering secured content.
(I’m surprised Napster hasn’t already licensed Rhapsody DNA from Real and implemented in their subscription system!!!)
“Never put all your eggs in one basket.”
(Yes, I own a Connect and love it.)
Message Edited by bigcraig01 on 08-28-2007 08:26 PM