Excerpt from the Guardian:
In a remarkable change of direction, it [Zune] ditches Microsoft's long-held faith in the digital rights management (DRM) system that it developed and has promoted for previous Windows-only players. Despite the heavy promotion given to the PlaysForSure format, used by services such as Napster, the Zune for sure won't play tracks protected by that DRM. Instead, it will ape Apple's closed system, hooking into a specific download store for purchases while offering support for unprotected Windows Media Audio (WMA), MP3 and AAC files - the latter meaning that iPod owners can find a new home for any music ripped in Apple's default format, though not any tracks direct from the iTunes Store.
The news was a punch in the gut to many companies supporting PlaysForSure, and even J Allard, the Microsoft vice president who helped mastermind the rise of Xbox and now oversees Zune, struggled to explain the U-turn.
More interviews:
[http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/insideit/story/0,,1876791,00.html]
[http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/14/the-engadget-interview-j-allard-microsoft-corporate-vice-presi/]
So, what do I think?
Hmmmmmm. Well, what do the iDon't lobby hate about iPod?
1 - It's a closed shop - there is no other place to buy music for an iPod from other than iTunes (excluding CDs of course..) - it doesn't matter if you're tech savvy or not - nobody likes a monopoly, and everyone shops round to some degree.
2 - They've got too much power in the marketplace - the record labels are setting their pricing for everyone around what they sell to iTunes for. If a download store wants to change the price of a digitally available album, the label (allegedly) won't let them for fear of annoying iTunes ("we can't give it to you for less than we give it to iTunes").
3 - The music isn't easily transferable - I certainly can't play it any other device, it's not easy to make a CD, and I can't transfer my music library to another PC or Mac
What do we love about iPods?
1 - Style - desirable, simple objects that Apple manage to make seem like the sexiest thing on the planet.... and everyone's got one, so you just have to have one too. Right?
2 - Easy(ish) integration - plug and play - sort of... - don't have to worry about 'syncing' or codecs, etc.
So, why would Microsoft make some of the fatal mistakes that Apple made? They're certainly going to commit the first "iDon't" sin, of making it a closed shop.
I predict:
If Microsoft simply support DRM controlled WMA files (as sold by HMV Digital, Napster, etc.) - AND they have a nice desirable player (they did a great job with X-Box, so no reason they shouldn't get there with Zune) - then they'll win in the end.
If however, Apple beat them to it, by publishing the DRM version of AAC so other vendors can sell like iTunes - they'll win.
You heard it here first...