Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,287
30,363
Despite a previous statement indicating that Napster might be coming to the Mac... new information available to MacRumors reveals that no Napster Mac port is presently underway. As well, it appears there are no plans to port Napster to the Mac.

Napster 2.0 was launched in late October for the Windows platform. The relaunched service now offers Protected Windows Media Audio formatted songs for purchase, which could prove to be challenging to fully support on the Mac platform.
 

stoid

macrumors 601
Yes, bring the free music to the mac again!!

Oh, wait, I forgot, Napster isn't free anymore, it's a load o' crap market piled onto of a even crappier service. Mac is all the better that we aren't afflicted with diseases like Napster and BuyMusic.
 

alset

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2002
1,262
0
East Bay, CA
Who cares? I care. Though this may signal that they know they can't crack the popularity of iTMS, I also hate to see discrimination toward my platform of choice. I like knowing that I chose not to use a product or service because it isn't worth my time, not because a company doesn't find my business worth coveting.

Dan
 

sparkleytone

macrumors 68020
Oct 28, 2001
2,307
0
Greensboro, NC
I was told by more than one PC user that the Napster store is way behind the iTMS as far as organization and ease of use are concerned. Also, quite a few of them weren't aware that it was using WMA, which immediately scared them. I say who needs it on the Mac. The iTMS isn't going away any time soon.
 

trilogic

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2001
75
0
Switzerland
I guess only very few apple users would buy their music from napster anyway. Therefore I understand that they don't want to spend time for an apple version.

but for apple users it would be good to have another choice. okay we still can go to the recordshop around the corner.
 

Sabenth

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2003
887
3
UK
Hmm would have thought this was obvious. Guess i am more foward thinking than i thought way to go Napster..
 

rauf

macrumors newbie
Sep 24, 2003
24
0
Kiwiland now - it's the best.
Who needs "new" napster... I don't understand what market they're going for on either PC or mac.

Legal music is sewn up with iTMS. peer to per networking is routinely available on both platforms (Grokster on PC, Acquisition on mac). So what market is left????

Congratulations Mr Fanning, I hope you sold your lemming for an absolute fortune.

:p
 

Hmm

macrumors 6502
Apr 11, 2002
271
198
The idea of a Napster "store" is ridiculous. The name doesn't make any sense. The whole point of Napster was to allow peer-to-peer sharing, legal or not. Now it's just the name of Yet Another Online Music Store. The original point of Napster was lost and all that's left is the name.
 

ITR 81

macrumors 65816
Oct 24, 2003
1,052
0
Mac users wouldn't buy Napster anyway since iTunes is such a much better music store.

I noticed today on Apples website that the iPod is the #1 seller which makes me believe alot windows users will be getting iPod's for Christmas and in the #2 spot was Panther 10.3 which means alot folks will be upgrading over this holiday season.
 

Lancetx

macrumors 68000
Aug 11, 2003
1,991
619
Originally posted by Jerry Spoon
I usually don't like when people simply post, "Who Cares?", but really folks, do that many people really want this option?

I couldn't agree with you more. It would certainly make no difference to me either way because I wouldn't be using Napster now or in the future whether they ever have a Mac version or not.
 

Zech Marquis

macrumors newbie
Feb 4, 2003
13
0
Portsmouth, VA
I couldn't care less about Napster now

iTunes owns the online music industry, Napster won't make me change anything. M$'s sure to be crappy music store will be just like Napster, so I'm not worried about them either. By the time it's out, iTunes 5 or whtever will have even more grat features.
 

iggyb

macrumors member
Nov 19, 2003
93
0
Colorado
I doubt Napster will be around in the long run anyway. They thought they could use the name to attract customers, but I think that will backfire, as Napster was synonymous with file swapping, NOT a music store. Besides, if they were going to release songs in WMA format, who the heck cares anyway.

On a sidenote, however, are we going to end up as niche players again, if we stick to our guns on AAC format? I wish other music services offered AAC as well.
 

1macker1

macrumors 65816
Oct 9, 2003
1,375
0
A Higher Level
I totally agree. It's like mac people still dont hold a strong enough voice to get equal service.

WMA's play just fine in WMP.
Originally posted by alset
Who cares? I care. Though this may signal that they know they can't crack the popularity of iTMS, I also hate to see discrimination toward my platform of choice. I like knowing that I chose not to use a product or service because it isn't worth my time, not because a company doesn't find my business worth coveting.

Dan
 

rsnyder@psu.edu

macrumors newbie
Feb 13, 2003
7
0
Too bad my University signed up with Napster

I find it interesting that Penn State chose to go with the Napster product as part of a University agreement to provide students with an alternative to unlawful file sharing. Now it makes even less sense if only students using Windows systems can access the service. With OS X, the Mac has made a strong comeback especially in the technical areas of the University. Oh well I guess those of us Macs will just drink Coke, ware Reboks, and otherwise flaunt the University's marking deals by getting our music through the cross platform alternative--iTunes Music Store.
 

G4scott

macrumors 68020
Jan 9, 2002
2,225
5
USA_WA
Re: Too bad my University signed up with Napster

Originally posted by rsnyder@psu.edu
Oh well I guess those of us Macs will just drink Coke, ware Reboks, and otherwise flaunt the University's marking deals by getting our music through the cross platform alternative--iTunes Music Store.

You'll want to start drinking Pepsi around February. And McDonalds might soon become very appealing...
 

KREX725

macrumors regular
Apr 20, 2003
154
0
Between all of the other up-and-coming (soon-to-fail) music services on the horizon (Best Buy, Wal-Mart...), do these companies actually expect to make any money? Apple themselves said they make only a nickel or so per song.

Besides, wasn't Buy.com's music store going to slaughter iTMS? I haven't seen Tommy Lee's ugly face lately, have you?

BTW, let's not forget that Seth Green is the real creator of Napster.
 

iPC

macrumors 6502
Jul 22, 2003
384
0
East Windsor, CT
Originally posted by alset
Who cares? I care. Though this may signal that they know they can't crack the popularity of iTMS, I also hate to see discrimination toward my platform of choice. I like knowing that I chose not to use a product or service because it isn't worth my time, not because a company doesn't find my business worth coveting.

Dan
Very well said.

I find it strange that more people are not bothered by the intentional lack of choice.

G4scott - McDonald's sells Coke... So I am I supposed to be faithfull to McD's or Pepsi? Surely not both? And we know the McD's thing isn't going to happen anyhow...
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.