Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core 8GB kit $232 / 4GB kit $116 / 2GB kit $72. New Macbook 2GB DDR3-$65. HARD DRIVES available -- Free shipping / LIfetime warranty.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, MacBook Pros and more. Optical Drives for Apple iBooks, Powerbooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros in Stock. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.

OWC: Big Drives, High Performance - Not High Prices! SATA 3.5" up to 1.5TB. Notebook up to 500GB. FW up to 6.0TB. 1.0TB Drive Models from as low as $97.99 www.MacSales.com

Poker Mac Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full Tilt Poker Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.

Mac Musings

Microsoft Zune Incompatible with Microsoft Plays For Sure Media

Dan Knight - 2006.09.19 - Tip Jar

Microsoft has done some stupid things in the past, and we've taken our pot shots at their Plays For Sure initiative. Microsoft is a big, easy target.

But now they've taken the next step and created an MP3 player that's not compatible with Microsoft's own Plays For Sure standard or DRM protected WMA and WMV files (see Microsoft's Zune Won't Play Protected Windows Media).

Remember, this is the company that opposes Apple's FairPlay DRM because it's incompatible with their standard. And now it's doing the same thing.

I can just imagine the backlash, because people who have players with Microsoft's Plays For Sure logo will simply assume that the Microsoft Zune is going to support Microsoft's Plays For Sure DRM.

Just imagine the customer service counter at Best Buy, Walmart, and a thousand other stores when people who've just spent nearly US$300 for Microsoft's "iPod killer" discover that it's not only incompatible with Apple's DRM but with Microsoft's as well.

Zune buyers who already own iPods or Plays For Sure hardware will be in a far worse situation than iPod owners were five years ago. The iPod could play standard MP3s, and you could rip your own AAC files from your CDs.

Then came the iTunes Music Store, where iPod owners and iTunes users could purchase FairPlay-protected music that could only be played on iPods and computers equipped with iTunes.

In 2006, there are already two established DRM standards that have been carving out their own markets. Apple's FairPlay is the king of the mountain with 70-80% of the market, and Plays For Sure runs a distant second.

Shooting it's Plays For Sure partners in the foot, Microsoft has created a third incompatible DRM standard. Their target audience: people who haven't already gone iPod or Plays For Sure. What is that, maybe 5% of the market?

Worse yet, buying a Zune locks you in to a single MP3 player. No tiny shuffle or nano for jogging. Just a full-sized device that really does seem to have a nicer screen than the video iPod.

In short, Microsoft is trying to create the same kind of closed system - their own player, software, and media service - that Apple has with the iPod, iTunes, and the iTunes Store. And not only is it incompatible with the industry leading Apple system, it's also incompatible with Microsoft's own "slightly less closed" Plays For Sure system.

Microsoft just doesn't get it. They're hoping consumers are clueless and ready to abandon their current hardware and media, and it's just not going to happen.

Two proverbs come to mind:

  1. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
  2. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Microsoft will discover that imitating Apple isn't easy (ask anyone who uses both OS X and Windows), and everyone will be scratching their heads wondering why Microsoft decided to go its own way when Plays For Sure couldn't overwhelm the iPod/iTunes system.

Like I said, Microsoft has done some pretty stupid things in the past. And this one will go near the top of the list. LEM

Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

Recent Mac Musings

Links for the Day

Recent Content on Low End Mac

Recent Deals

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2009 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.


Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Video Cards
Email Lists

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Have a question?
Ask an expert!

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.