Microsoft’s revamped Zune takes on iPod

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Hardware/1554.html

 

[theStudent]

Does Bill Gates care if Apple or Microsoft are selling the most music players??

Doesn't Gates still own 49% +- of Apple anyway?

 

[bwana]

Does Bill Gates care if Apple or Microsoft are selling the most music players??

Doesn't Gates still own 49% +- of Apple anyway?

Nope - and as far as I can tell he never did.

 

[Moederloos]

is it supported in ZA (unlike itunes).
if so, gets my vote.


Oh well :
Zune is currently only available in the U.S. in English.

 

[bwana]

is it supported in ZA (unlike itunes).
if so, gets my vote.


Oh well :
Zune is currently only available in the U.S. in English.

Even Amazon's new music store (which could be a serious contender) isnt supported outside of the US.

 

[Moederloos]

Even Amazon's new music store (which could be a serious contender) isnt supported outside of the US.

That is the gripe - we are unable to legally get the same stuff as other countries can.
We can either pirate, wait months for a "hard copy" or pretend to live in another country and use a friends CC and mailing address.

Stupid on the part of the distributors.
If they really cared about "zones", then they could make Africa its own one, with "African" pricing.

 

[BobbyMac]

is it supported in ZA (unlike itunes).
if so, gets my vote.


Oh well :
Zune is currently only available in the U.S. in English.

Even Amazon's new music store (which could be a serious contender) isnt supported outside of the US.

Actually the reason it's not supported here is not because of these companies, but directly because of the Recording Companies. The margins that go to the recording companies are designed in such a way that no company can easily partner with anyone outside of their own country. It's incredibly expensive to buy catalog music from the likes of EMI, Virgin, Sony, etc, and there is a cross region licensing fee applicable when trying to get involved in other countries. It's just not financially viable for the likes of iTunes or Amazon to market themselves in this country because of these factors. The recording industry has western countries by the balls - in a vice grip. And they're not about to let it go.

 

[Ou grote]

Zune is still not an iPod.

African Zone would be nice.

 

[PeterCH]

That is the gripe - we are unable to legally get the same stuff as other countries can.
We can either pirate, wait months for a "hard copy" or pretend to live in another country and use a friends CC and mailing address.

Stupid on the part of the distributors.
If they really cared about "zones", then they could make Africa its own one, with "African" pricing.

You can get out your Credit card, place an online order with a shop
like CDUniverse and order any foreign CD in the catalog. The US (other
region) prices are at least 30% cheaper than our own usually and
you can have the CD in under 2 weeks.

Then its a matter of ripping it and placing it on your HD.

ITMS sucks. The songs are not 320kbps, they are DRM'ed and
you can only use them on the iPod without breaking the DRM
(something which may cost you civil liability) or burn to CD
and re-rip costing you quality loss.

Secondly you could use ITMS. If you buy an ITMS music voucher (online)
you can shop in the relevant store without a credit card.

Actually its hillarious that Amazon, CDUniverse, Moviemars, etc can
sell CDs to anywhere in the world yet ITMS can't let you download
the same label's music. Either the online stores are giving the RIAA
the finger or maybe there is a loophope that ITMS could have
taken advantage of too.

 

[Moederloos]

You can get out your Credit card, place an online order with a shop
like CDUniverse and order any foreign CD in the catalog. The US (other
region) prices are at least 30% cheaper than our own usually and
you can have the CD in under 2 weeks.

Then its a matter of ripping it and placing it on your HD.

ITMS sucks. The songs are not 320kbps, they are DRM'ed and
you can only use them on the iPod without breaking the DRM
(something which may cost you civil liability) or burn to CD
and re-rip costing you quality loss.

Secondly you could use ITMS. If you buy an ITMS music voucher (online)
you can shop in the relevant store without a credit card.

Actually its hillarious that Amazon, CDUniverse, Moviemars, etc can
sell CDs to anywhere in the world yet ITMS can't let you download
the same label's music. Either the online stores are giving the RIAA
the finger or maybe there is a loophope that ITMS could have
taken advantage of too.

I am more interested in TV shows - download Heroes the day after it releases etc.
Not much of a music fan, is me.

 

[bwana]

Actually its hillarious that Amazon, CDUniverse, Moviemars, etc can
sell CDs to anywhere in the world yet ITMS can't let you download
the same label's music. Either the online stores are giving the RIAA
the finger or maybe there is a loophope that ITMS could have
taken advantage of too.

It is not just the iTS - as previously mentioned even Amazon's own MP3 offering (amazonmp3.com) wont allow purchases from overseas customers.

 

[Moederloos]

It is not just the iTS - as previously mentioned even Amazon's own MP3 offering (amazonmp3.com) wont allow purchases from overseas customers.

iTS has a vast list of foreign countries that are supported.
ZA of course is not one of them.

 

[bwana]

iTS has a vast list of foreign countries that are supported.
ZA of course is not one of them.

I dont know if I'd call 9 countries plus EU vast but the price points and content are substantially different.

 

[PeterCH]

I dont know if I'd call 9 countries plus EU vast but the price points and content are substantially different.

The point is that Amazon which can't sell MP3's outside of the US can sell
CDs with the same music outside of the US. This seems a bit fishy to me.
Amazon are actually bad, they don't even sell software outside the US,
while sites like cdromshop.com or cduniverse.com sell software and games
to anyone in any country.

I don't see SONY-BMG SA (et al) or RISA going after Amazon and 10.000 other
online retailers who ship music to SA on CD.

 

[PeterCH]

I am more interested in TV shows - download Heroes the day after it releases etc.
Not much of a music fan, is me.

With local bandwidth charges it makes more sense to have your family member or friend buy the show for you online over there and ship it to you on a DVD-R. Buying the show on DVD is also an option, with a 6.80 to 1
Dollar exchange rate and discounted stores in the US, shipping DVDs is becoming cheaper.

 

[PeterCH]

I dont know if I'd call 9 countries plus EU vast but the price points and content are substantially different.

True - you can't buy Jpop on ITMS US, for example.

 

[charlieharper]

When will the ZUNE be released in SA?

After I saw the features, I got amped to get one.

Does anyone know what the price for one will be?