Microsoft has launched an ad campaign claiming that it costs less to fill up its Zune media player with music than it does to fill up Apple's iPod. Now some analysts, like PC World magazine , are saying that Microsoft's campaign uses deceptive math to make its point.
In an ad for Microsoft's online music rental service Zune Pass, financial planner Wes Moss claims that at $1 per song on Apple's iTunes, it would cost $30,000 to fill up a 120-gigabyte iPod. Zune Pass, by comparison, costs $15 per month.
PC World's Brennon Slattery pointed out that Zune Pass does not work with the iPod, and that Zune Pass is a rental service. Zune Pass users can temporarily download an unlimited number of songs for the monthly subscription fee, but are only able to keep 10 songs per month permanently. iTunes users own all of the songs they purchase.
Ars Technica did the math and reported that at 10 songs per month, it would take 250 years and $45,000 in monthly subscription fees to own 30,000 songs permanently.
By ANTHONY BARTKEWICZ (MYFOX NATIONAL)
So will this work? Does the average consumer care? Do they both sell to the same target market? Why would a person pay $14.99 a month for a pass and can only keep 10 songs when I could pay$14.99 and have almost 15 songs? When answering these questions ignore the fact that most people still download music illegally. Pretend we always buy all of our music legally.
9 hours ago
7 comments:
I would never do this, UNLESS there is a way to take those temp. songs and out them on a CD but, I would rather have the songs forever then just a month. I think it is a bad idea. Just use Itunes it is easier and you actually get to keep the songs you want. -Dan C. P.4
I dont think that that this will work because they are trying to go against an apple iPod which a lot of people have. I would rather have songs stay permanent on my iPod instead of only having them for a month. I dont feel that this whole Zune thing would compete witht the apple iPod.- Andrew A.4
First off this may work by tricking people against the apple ipod and saying the ipod is more expensive. I don't believe the average consumer will care, however, because they are both good mp3 players. The consumer will want whichever mp3 player they like better. The Zune Pass may target teens and young adults because their taste of music changes frequently. After listening to the same song for a month they will want different music the next month.
First off this may work by tricking people against the apple ipod and saying the ipod is more expensive. I don't believe the average consumer will care, however, because they are both good mp3 players. The consumer will want whichever mp3 player they like better. The Zune Pass may target teens and young adults because their taste of music changes frequently. After listening to the same song for a month they will want different music the next month.
Max B.
P4
Microsoft has a strong point here. It is in fact costly to fill up the average ipod. However the average consumer rarely ever fills their ipod to its "fullest" capacity. Also, a large percentage of apple ipod users download their music illegally either from torrent sites or the ever so popular limewire. Yes the point of an expensive ipod fill up is achieved, but whether their claims are legit is questionable. For example it may cost "less" to fill up an mp3 player using zune.net but here's the catch. More than likely, the music you fill up your mp3 player with is only valid or readable by your mp3 player unless the subscription to zune.net is renewed on a monthly basis. Whereas the music purchased from itunes are yours to keep for as long as you prefer. Ultimately, this ad is a success for people who refrain from reading within fine lines. For those who think wisely about their music purchases, this ad campaign is a waste of time. However if one prefers to receive new music monthly without full ownership of their mp3 tracks, then zune.net is the perfect route for them.
Daniel Mall
Hour 6
No I would never do this because it makes no sense to pay 14.99 a month and only be able to keep 10 of your songs. I think it is a terrible idea. I would just keep using itunes. It is overall easier to use and most importantly you get to keep all of your songs you buy.
Even if you were able to keep the songs, you would have to be constantly purchasing these songs, and I don't buy songs that often.
I think this is really shady, and they should be getting in trouble for deceptive advertising if they have not already.
Stephanie Laumer p.6
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