On Music Download Stores, Microsoft, and Choice

A beautiful essay on the state of online music download stores today, Microsofts coming furray into that market (once again turning a large number of partners into competitors), and how things should pan out in the near future...

Best line, describing MTV's online store: "If their music store turns out anything like their cable channel, it won't have any actual music on it."

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For myself, I have little to no interest in those stores and what they offer, because they all off what to me is the same crap. Only the best selling stuff is allowed to say selling the market, and the truth is that its an utterly wasted opportunity.
Its an online store, where there's no shelf-space, no shipping weight requirements, no problem of stuff not being sorted properly because in the christmas rush, the lazy-ass retail staff never bothered to clean up after the ignorant customers rampaged the place.

Its not the place to buy Pink Floyd. Its not the place to by The Beatles. That stuff still sells in stores (and at top prices; neither group has dropped to "bargain bin" prices at all). Its the place to buy stuff that the market otherwise has decided (excuse me, the LABEL has otherwise decided) isn't marketable. It doesn't cost a thing except a little labor to take something out of print (where you're the only place with the master recording), digitize it, shrink it down to a mp3/itune/wma, and put it up there. No its not going to sell a million downloads, but that's the point. You'll make money even with only a relative handful of sales.

So until they reconsider what they're selling, and offer up more than the already "top-selling" stuff (where if I wanted it, I've already got it, and if I don't want it, it ain't worth $0.99 a track anyways), I have no interest in those types of stores whatsoever.

B.T. -- Before Technology

From thatliardesmond, When was the last time you:

1. Used a pay phone?
Calling Cyd from the pay phone in the Quarry House Tavern (yes, one of them neighborhood taverns) in Silver Spring, wondering where the hell she was and how I could get her un-lost...

2. Washed all your dishes by hand?
My apartment in Burke, with a broken dishwasher, feb or mar 2002.

3. Rode public transportation that wasn't a subway (i.e. the bus)?
While working ISX. I would take the bus from Tysons as a shuttle to get to the EFC Metro.

4. Made popcorn not in a microwave? And what device did you use?
me, an air popper in 1991. popcorn I ate, my brother this past christmas got one of them fancy mini-poppers that work like movie theaters' makers.

5. Played an LP? Bought an LP? Saw an LP?
Played: when i digitized some stuff into my laptop 'cause I knew the CD for it would never come out, 2002.
Bought: Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells picture disk, at the now gone Phantasmagora in Wheaton, when seeing The Gathering, 1999. only cost about $10, probably worth about $100.
Saw: I keep my collection on display in my A/V room.

6. Used a rotary phone? Saw a rotary phone?
Can't recall the details.

7. Changed channels without a remote?
It happens. I don't recall details.

8. Had a watch that actually required winding?
Sometime in the 70s. I don't keep watches for long (lose them or they break, usually), and aside from my trip to Canada in 1997, I haven't worn one since I first started working Faire, 1995.

9. Had a gas station attendant pump your gas (Note: saphyne and suburbangenius, this one should be pretty easy...)?
We visit Cyd's parents regularly, and get gas in Jersey at a couple of truck stops 'cause dammit, its cheap up there.

10. Used an electric typewriter? A manual one? Saw a manual one?
Electric: filling out a form sheet I couldn't scan in. 1996, I think.
Manual: Sometime in the mid-80s. My parents have one.
Saw a Manual: That same one, out of its case in the mid-80s, in its case, probably 1993 before I moved out.

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On a side note, the Quarry House Tavern is suffering financially for different reasons from what was discussed in my earlier entry about neighborhood taverns and all that. It seems the No Smoking rule in Montgomery County is having a drastic effect on tavern and bar business, and their revenue is down from last year on an order of thousands of dollars. And they're not alone in this. A suit to reverse the law is being organized, and even though I'm not a smoker, I'm in favor of it.

The whole idea that if smoking was banned more non-smokers would go to such places, was unfounded and turned out to be utterly wrong in every way. Businesses all over the county are suffering loss of income due to this regulation, where old customers are leaving, but its not bringing in new customers the way the supporters of the bill promised.

If it were my tavern, I'd want a head on a pike.

(no subject)

1. Name one favorite book that you can read over and over, and never get tired of.
The Hitchiker's Guide series, or Bob Cringley's Accidental Empires.

2. Of all the places you've visited, which one would you most like to go back to?
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Been trying to go back for years, but other places to go to keep taking my time.

3. What kind of natural disaster frightens you the most?
Earthquakes. Just about any other disaster at least gives you between 1 hour and 5 day (hurricane/blizzard) warning. Earthquakes just happen, when they damn well feel like it, and you can't and don't know ahead of time.

4. What did you dream about last night?
I forget these things.

5. What was the name of your first pet?
Duchess, a half-sheltie/half-collie, sort of a mid-sized lassie.