Napster 2.0 Beta on Oct 9th

[MacRumors]

Online music downloads and music player competition is heating up... on the PC side.

Despite target dates for Napster 2.0 by Christmas, Reuters reports that Napster 2.0 will start beta testing on October 9th.

Last week, Samsung and Napster announced that they would be releasing a "Napster compatible" MP3 player, following in Apple's iPod footsteps to provide music store and audio player integration.

The importance of such integration is underscored by a CNet article that suggests that BuyMusic has failed to provide players that will play the secure WMA files that it currently offers.

[DeusOmnis]

apple needs to hurry the fsck up

[obeygiant]

Ya think they'll offer Metallica Songs?

[sososowhat]

to call it Napster when it's quite different in spirit & concept than the original.

[RandomMacGuy]

"Since the introduction of the iPod in blah blah blah and the introduction of the iTunes Music Store in blah blah blah everyone else has tried to catch up blah blah blah statistics blah blah blah <dramatic pause> they have yet to succeed."

Applause

[jaykk]

here come the more competition

"Napster will offer 500,000 songs out of the gate--about twice what those competing services launched with"

Sounds like almost everyone is out to get apple. Apple indeed opened a can of worms.

Next will be M$ i guess.

[jer2665]

i think this is terrible. It isn't napster, it isn't the same idea, same engine, i dont even think the same kid. That's just cashing in on a popular name. That's stupid. that's like taking a crappy movie, wihout tony montana, or anyone from the original scarface, or any of the story, and just because it has something to do with drugs, calling it scarface 2 (i just finished watching it again )

ok, so it's not exactly like that, but it's still stupid.

[coolbreeze]

iTunes for Windows anyone? C'mon!!! Finding iTMS is going to be like "Where's Waldo" in this already saturated market. Apple seems to have shot themselves in the foot pioneering this madness!!....H-U-R-R-Y- U-P Apple!!!

[ELYXR]

I wonder how Apple is going to implement AAC on the PC. Do you think there are issues with DRM on Windows in order to appease the record companies? I think that is why this is taking so long. My $.02

[SBG88]

C'man, Apple will not be wholly affected by these services. I wonder how many will be left in a year. Again, of course, it will be down to Apple and Microsoft. I'm betting on the iPod this time.

BTW, the bluetooth keyboard kicks ass.

[rickvanr]

Originally posted by ELYXR
I wonder how Apple is going to implement AAC on the PC. Do you think there are issues with DRM on Windows in order to appease the record companies? I think that is why this is taking so long. My $.02

i think thats why its taking so long
all of the itunes music store is in AAC

how easy is it to get AAC working on a windows machine?

could that be the problem?

[VicMacs]

apple needs another big release, kinda like ITMS but with something new... a new standard is set but since everybody is going for the gold you might just interest everybody else with the best of the best, apple can do it, they always have... but i think they need more people on the job... i'm willing to help apple! they should hire us all... hehe

bring on Panther AAAAAAAH! (runnig a pre-release)

[iTag]

i tend to agree here with the concept that its not napster its just the name...

Napster didnt cost anything did it

And the ipod the bloody ipod this and that great product its not the be all and end all of every god dam audio equitment its a gloryfied hard drive which is reall nice light and easy to carry around ....

wtf iam i saying bring on iTunes Windozzz and there will be a lot of happy people whats wrong with MP3 AS WELL AAC keep that for the Mac i say and let the pc heads suffer...

Yay i said somting that has no meaning what so ever as usaul

[Sublime]

I soo miss the real napster.

[notEven]

on the semi-bright side, i think competition is necessary. It sparks the fuel to out-engineer and out-class the other, and usually ends up benefitting the end user in lower costs (of players, and music in this case). However, it is just a little bit sickening that Apple always has to be the pioneer and test monkey for new ideas and products (newton, imac, firewire, ..the very concept of a PC for friks sake), yet still gets very little respect from the majority. anyway, these "followers" usually are a good thing, usually playing catch-up and releasing semi-finished products while Apple continues to develop under the radar. we all know that the latest, most innovative, jaw dropping technology is just around the corner... and made proudly by our very own fruit company.

[dongmin]

I actually think it's good that there are so many different services getting into this market. I think against all the noise, Apple's combination of the iPod and iTMS will really stand out. All these mediocre windows services will take the less-savvy consumers away from each other, leaving the more savvy and quality-aware crowd for iTMS.

I've used the major mp3 players out there for Windows, and iTunes still blows them all away. The MusicMatch is a blatant ripoff but iTunes is still better. And we should see cooler features added to the iPod and iTMS that only Apple can provide.

[Belly-laughs]

Originally posted by SBG88
C'man, Apple will not be wholly affected by these services. I wonder how many will be left in a year. Again, of course, it will be down to Apple and Microsoft. I'm betting on the iPod this time.

I agree. Let them fight it out between them on Windows for a while. When the time is right Apple can go in for the kill!

[DeusOmnis]

i dont think apple is going to gobble up market share w/ so much competition unless iTunes is a really great program (to the windows people). Hopefully, iTunes will get a number of rave reviews.

[macnews]

Just once I would like to see Apple get in first, with a ton of market share on the PC side and THEN see the competition jump in. Competition is good and all, but just once would be nice. I know Apple leads in the mp3 player market, just would like to see the software lead as well.

[iTag]

A Little off topic not really is iTunes for windows free.....


aint heard any prices or anything as yet not even a rough guess

[srobert]

Originally posted by SBG88
C'man, Apple will not be wholly affected by these services. I wonder how many will be left in a year. Again, of course, it will be down to Apple and Microsoft. I'm betting on the iPod this time.

Apple and iTunes for Mac may not be affected by this but Apple and iTunes for PC will. And about the iPod, yes, I personally think it's a better overall product than the ones offerend by the competion... but we should'nt expect mr. and Mrs. everyoby to choose quality over lower prices. It just won't happen. At this price the iPod will stay a high end product. The long term success of the Apple Online Music Store depends in grat parts on either A) Wider adoption of the AAC standard by competitors or B) Considerable iPods sales on the PC side and imminent release of ITMS for wintel. Option "A" seems unlikely.

Just my 2 cents (All I have left after purchasing my sweet but expensive iPod)

Me

[AidenShaw]

Has there been confirmation that iTunes is being ported to Windows, or is it possible that the music store will use a different player?

I hope if it's being ported, that they take the time to make it a proper (i.e. style guide compliant) Windows app, and don't make it an alien Aqua/metal app like the Windows QT player.

[1adonis1]

I don't think that iTMS will hit big with Windows, due to the fact that, just as Apple people dislike windows, there are Windows users that dislike Apple so much, that they will not use iTMS just to see it fail.

[kerryb]

Hopefully Apple will make big noise with the release of the windows ITMS. Be very obvious Apple we are talking to windows users here, hold their hands and make it crystal clear that ITMS is the best, original, EASIEST, way to legally download music to their crappy pc's and iPods. Use a spokeswoman like Pam Anderson if necessary.

[Java]

Consumers will be able to sign up for a year's service (which will include unlimited downloading and burning) or purchase songs à la carte or by the album (no pricing as of yet).

So once again, you are asked to sign up for a yearly contract just to burn a track. Maybe I'm wrong, but wasn't part of the success of the iTMS was the fact that you didn't have to sign up for any contract?