November 8th, 2006

Microsoft's splintered DRM will kill Zune

Posted by George Ou @ 2:51 am

Categories: Fun Stuff, Hardware

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I thought things couldn't get any worse for Microsoft after the Vista licensing fiasco, the WGA fiasco, and the XBox 360 fiasco but this one takes the cake.  I'll even bet that the folks at Apple are ROTFL at this latest Microsoft misstep.  Microsoft's own Channel 9 blog has coined the term "Plays for Maybe" (via David Berlind's blog) in a brutally honest way asking:

I really don't get how the biggest software co. in the world - sets up a huge network of partners to trumpet their own technology: "plays for sure" - then when it itself enters the market - refuses to use it.

Here is a message to Microsoft:
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!  I bought a "Plays for Sure" device and I bought and rented music for it and now you're telling me it was all a joke.  Well this has forced me to come to these two conclusions if you continue this course.

• Stop buying all Plays for Sure devices and music
• Don't buy Zune because you've splintered your own market

One of the main reasons I chose to go with Microsoft's DRM technology is because I have a choice in who I buy my hardware from.  I have no problem if Microsoft is one of those hardware manufacturers in the Plays for Sure ecosystem, but abandoning Plays for Sure and your customers and partners will kill whatever market sure you have.  You're not Apple; you can't get away with selling your own service for your own device exclusively.  Wake up before it's too late.

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