Details emerge on MusicMatch, Dell Music Store

Source: MacMinute.com

Details emerge on MusicMatch, Dell Music Store
September 27, 2003 - 12:40 EDT CNET News.com reports that MusicMatch will launch an online music service next week, and will provide a branded version of the technology for the upcoming Dell Music Store. "The service will use the popular MusicMatch Jukebox software and will distribute music in Microsoft's Windows Media format... MusicMatch's entry into the song-download business marks the beginning of an expected flood of Windows-based music services over the next few months, all inspired by the initial success of Apple's iTunes service." MusicMatch's store would be the first Windows-based service in the US to have a music store built directly into the software used to play the music (just like Apple's iTunes). Ironically, MusicMatch Jukebox is the software bundled with Apple's iPod for Windows users.

My Comments: I think I might have purchased my iPod a little too soon.. Apple is going to have to revamp it's iPod once again so it can blow away the competition. Man this play is so very very interesting! I can't wait to see what Apple does!

MusicMatch launches iTunes-esque music store

Source: MacMinute.com

MusicMatch launches iTunes-esque music store
September 29, 2003 - 10:18 EDT As expected, MusicMatch on Monday launched a new digital music download service. "Offering a library of more than 200,000 songs at 99 cents each, the MusicMatch service will allow computer users to buy and download music with few restrictions, a model pioneered by Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store in May," reports Reuters. As previously noted, MusicMatch's store is the first Windows-based service in the US to have a music store built directly into the software used to play the music (just like Apple's iTunes). Downloads from the store are in Windows Media format.

Dell's new 'Bizarro' player no match for iPod

Source: MacMinute.com

Dell's new 'Bizarro' player no match for iPod
November 26, 2003 - 10:24 EST Fortune's Peter Lewis has written an amusing article on "Dell's new Bizarro version of Apple's iPod," called the Dell Digital Jukebox (DJ). "Coming from the square world of Dell instead of the hip world of Apple, it's bigger, heavier, and clunkier than Apple's sleek, suave, elegant iPod," writes Lewis. "Even worse, the Musicmatch-backed Dell Music Store is the clumsy, Bizarro counterpart to Apple's brilliant iTunes Music Store." Lewis does note, however, that the Dell DJ has superior battery life, lower cost, and better Windows integration than the iPod.

My Comments: Really great article, and it does sound like it has some decent improvements over the iPod. And the price sounds really good! Not hard to beat Apple's price, ouch!