Review of pressplay and RealOne

c64guy writes: "Okay, so we all know that the music labels launched their own digital music subscription services, and that the new for-pay Napster should be debuting any minute. Here's a particularly in-depth review that compares the nitty-gritty of the services. For example, with RealOne, you can only ever have 200 tracks activated on your system. Even if you've been subscribed for eight months and downloaded 1600 tracks, you can still only listen to 200 of them in one month."

Comments

Kind of offtopic, but it has to be said

[Accord MT]

The thing that the RIAA and MPAA just don't understand about movie and music swapping is, the popularity of P2P file swapping sites and rampant piracy is a direct response by consumers to the excessive cost of music and videos. $15 to $35 for what is essentially a piece of plastic? No wonder people are seeking free alternatives!

Basic economics dictate that if the media industries are losing customers in droves, they need to lower their price and/or produce a better product. These rules apply to every business. Take prostitution for instance. One day I was walking down 5th street, minding my own business, when a hooker walked up to me and said "blow you for $30." "No thanks," I replied and kept on walking. She whistled and soon three huge men burst out of the building next to us and tackled me to the ground. One held me down, one beat me about the head and arms and one of them pulled down my pants and started inserting hot peppers into me from behind. The prostitute, meanwhile, repeatedly kicked me in my nuts until they felt like swollen bowling balls. After who knows how many scorching hot jalapenos were shoved into my anus, the guy started pumping me in the butt. I blacked out when one of them urinated on my face. Long story short, I got an ass full of man-cheese, a face full of pee and a sore nut sack. Indeed, it was an interesting lesson in United States' free-market economics.

So don't let the media industry trample on your rights. As long as free alternatives exist to keep big media in check, consumers will have a tool on their side to balance market forces. Thank you.

Re:Quote of the Day/Week/Year/etc

[Alsee]

You have to get out there and change your business model, and that lesson hasn't been learned yet.

Yes, but the RIAA and the MPAA have changed their business models. They are now based on the legislature.

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