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Microsoft Re-Brands PlaysForSure
mikesd81 writes "Information Week writes about a licensing change intended to 'beat Apple at their own game'. They're going to use a combination of branding and DRM, and replace the "PlaysForSure" logo with a "Certified for Windows Vista" tag.'The certification is used to guarantee compatibility with Microsoft's copyright-protection software and is the same logo used for the company's Zune player. The problem, however, is that music and video bought from the online Zune Marketplace won't play in their native format on other devices, including those that will carry the new logo.'"
"Might play sometimes"?
This guy's the limit!
So now we're going to have Certified for Windows Vista on things that have nothing to do with Vista? Will it work on XP? That's going to be really confusing for their consumers (Microsoft doesn't have customers) especially since that logo will be found on software and hardware.
I also don't know what music and music players have to do with Vista other than the DRM. They should rename it: "Plays only on Vista, bitches" and then say like... bitches.
Apparently the front page is now also infected with DRM since I can't post anything and it keeps logging me out.
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
= PlaysForVista
a subtle hint for the future? ie that you will need Vista to play anything new?
How is Microsoft doing something utterly incomprehensible supposed to "beat apple at their own game ?"
Given that only Windows could handle PlayForSure, and that Microsoft was unlikely to let any other OS developers have the necessary licenses, maybe this is clearer. Maybe its clearer that this form of lock-in requires Microsoft Windows. Either way, its DRM and its nasty.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
...they originally just planned to drop the 'L'.
How does this play with a former "PlaysForSure" device that is intended only for XP? What about the Zune (which, AFAIK, still doesn't work with PlaysForSure media, but *does* work with Vista?
Seriously, are MS intending to hand Apple a computer media format monopoly on a silver platter?
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This move makes no sense. PlaysForSure devices/stores are not compatible with Zune devices/stores, but they'll both carry the same logo? This defeats the entire point of the PlaysForSure branding in the first place: that any device and any store with the branding will work together.
Somebody at Microsoft has lost their minds.
-- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
If Microsoft wants to win customers from Apple, they should just drop DRM all together. If Amazon and Apple (iTunes+) can do it, why not Microsoft?
At some point, the lawyers prevail over the marketers.
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
As in "It plays for me. The problem must be on your end."
Hey, why shouldn't MS copy the ancient excuse of every tech support on the planet for their products? They copy everything else.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
don't blame the article... that is EXACTLY what Microsoft is doing!!!! Putting the same "compatibility" sticker on PfS and Zune, when they are clearly not compatible.
Riiiiight
Becuase Apple's game was to promote the iPod as being exclusively for one platform, and having multiple incompatible DRM formats. Funny, I though Apple did the opposite, and (unusually for Apple) made the iPod cross-platform, and implemented fairly simple DRM that is consistent across all its products.
... and then they built the supercollider.
do not welcome our restrictive drm laden asshat overlords
Make you buy a bunch of DRM-infested music
Hold on there.. They're not making you buy anything.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Thats not a bug, thats a feature! Microsoft is trying to get people to use greener, less CPU-intensive codecs like MP3 to save power and the environment.
Kidding aside, what is Microsoft's business plan with the Zune??? Judging from the vast numbers of deeply-discounted Zunes being dumped into the market (I bought mine for $80 on Woot), they can't possibly be making money on the hardware. The software is so terrible that I only use it when my music collection changes substantially, and their music store certainly doesn't have much going for it right now. What is the "attachment rate" for Zune store purchase? Its probably shockingly low.
The whole thing reminds me of Xbox 1 (and the 360 to some extent) where Microsoft deeply discounted the hardware hoping to make money on the software, but then didn't because their projections of attachment rates were completely off and the hardware was selling at just too great of a loss.
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
I use XP. I'm not interested in Vista. Certified for Vista doesn't make me fell like I can use this stuff... I'll also assume it won't work on my ipod. What about my Sansa with Rockbox? Still dunno. I feel safer _avoiding_ "Certified for Windows Vista" items.
...for small values of 'for sure.'
Never shake hands with a man you meet in a fertility clinic.
A straight up unladen MP3. THAT plays for sure.
Does MicroSoft have a long wanker or no shins?
I drank what? -- Socrates
For Apple's DRM'd music, on an iPod, iPhone, or registered computer (Mac/Windows) running iTunes.
How is this worse than Microsoft's play?
What's confusing about Microsoft has done here is called PlaysForSure "Vista Compatible" while ignoring the fact that it also works on XP and whatever else. They also call Zune music "Vista Compatible" but the two formats are not compatible with each other.
Or with music players that most of the world owns.
Apple:
1. Apple creates proprietary iTunes schema, as none such existed in the market. Sticks with it for ten years. Starts to transition to universal MP3's.
Microsoft:
1. Microsoft creates proprietary PlaysForSure schema in response to apple. Partners with lots of companies to push as an proprietary but licenceable standard. Sells PlaysForSure tracks on MSN.com.
2. Microsoft abandons PlaysForSure, destroying the standard. Microsoft instead sells the Zune, with zune-specific music tracks.
3. Microsoft sticks PlaysForSure and Zune DRM together as "Certified for Vista." Except that things which are all "Certified for Vista" will play with Vista, but won't actually play with eachother. And it will play with non-Vista things. Right.
So the music player with an estimated 2% of the market is paired with an OS that has 6%. Good luck with that!
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