Comments on: Napster returns from the dark side: version 2.0 review http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/ Technology, music, video, art, news, reviews and muse on the web Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:08:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: TDavid http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-120 TDavid Tue, 04 Nov 2003 05:05:00 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-120 Hi Dave, thanks for commenting :) Napster doesn't seem to be adding the songs as quickly as Rhapsody, at least for the artists that I enjoy. And that whole "buy only" thing is very annoying. One of the reasons that I gave them a B instead of a lower grade was because they are the only legal online service that allows downloads of music locally. You can then listen on up to three different computers. The problem though is if the music selection is inferior one will end up having to buy the tracks anyway. Hi Dave, thanks for commenting :)
Napster doesn’t seem to be adding the songs as quickly as Rhapsody, at least for the artists that I enjoy. And that whole “buy only” thing is very annoying. One of the reasons that I gave them a B instead of a lower grade was because they are the only legal online service that allows downloads of music locally. You can then listen on up to three different computers.

The problem though is if the music selection is inferior one will end up having to buy the tracks anyway.

]]> By: Dave http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-119 Dave Tue, 04 Nov 2003 04:09:00 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-119 So I have looked into Napster a little closer. I've noticed a disturbing trend. All of the newer stuff doesn't seem to be available to purchase as an album. I looked at 5 new albums and found that none of them were available to purchase as an album. You could buy all the tracks individually, some of the albums missing key tracks. I wonder what the reasoning is behind this other than trying to make more money. It's not like they didn't have all the tracks on 3 of the albums I was looking at, and one had a completely different track list to the list posted on Amazon.com (R.E.M's In Time album) The Napster list just looked like 18 random tracks in a list. Couldn't buy it as an album so I suppose it doesn't really matter, but sheesh. So if I had to grade the service, I would be pushing a C- or maybe a D. I wouldn't go to F because it does at least have songs. Am I going to buy anything from them? No, considering the difficulty converting the WMA files to MP3/AAC, and the more egregious lack of full album choices... I'm sticking to iTunes! So I have looked into Napster a little closer. I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. All of the newer stuff doesn’t seem to be available to purchase as an album. I looked at 5 new albums and found that none of them were available to purchase as an album. You could buy all the tracks individually, some of the albums missing key tracks.

I wonder what the reasoning is behind this other than trying to make more money. It’s not like they didn’t have all the tracks on 3 of the albums I was looking at, and one had a completely different track list to the list posted on Amazon.com (R.E.M’s In Time album) The Napster list just looked like 18 random tracks in a list. Couldn’t buy it as an album so I suppose it doesn’t really matter, but sheesh.

So if I had to grade the service, I would be pushing a C- or maybe a D. I wouldn’t go to F because it does at least have songs. Am I going to buy anything from them? No, considering the difficulty converting the WMA files to MP3/AAC, and the more egregious lack of full album choices… I’m sticking to iTunes!

]]> By: Dave http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-118 Dave Fri, 31 Oct 2003 03:00:00 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20031029/360/#comment-118 So, I was looking at songs on Napster too, and noticed that Barenaked Ladies latest album Everything for Everyone was missing tracks. Now that happens with iTunes too, but one of the tracks that was missing was Another Postcard. The hit song that they are playing on the radio like crazy here. So I went and looked for the song itself. Low and behold, there it was in the album called "Another Postcard." So, from what I gathered from that, I would be paying $9.95 for the album minus 3 songs, and $0.99 for one of the missing tracks. I didn't check to see of the others were also available in seperate albums. I was rather disgusted with the entire thing and just burned my 5 free songs and left. They are going to have to do a better job than that to win me over from iTunes for songs for my iPod. So, I was looking at songs on Napster too, and noticed that Barenaked Ladies latest album Everything for Everyone was missing tracks. Now that happens with iTunes too, but one of the tracks that was missing was Another Postcard. The hit song that they are playing on the radio like crazy here. So I went and looked for the song itself. Low and behold, there it was in the album called “Another Postcard.” So, from what I gathered from that, I would be paying $9.95 for the album minus 3 songs, and $0.99 for one of the missing tracks. I didn’t check to see of the others were also available in seperate albums. I was rather disgusted with the entire thing and just burned my 5 free songs and left.

They are going to have to do a better job than that to win me over from iTunes for songs for my iPod.

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