What do you think of these new Music-ATMs?

[Hobbes]

I was reading a magazine at school today and saw an article for a future piece of equipment to be found at supermarkets around Boston Mass. (I believe it was -- this is for testing)....Music ATMs, where you can download MP3 songs to your MP3 player...What do you think? is that a good idea or just wasted space? (I couldn't say, I don't own a MP3 player)

 

[Chicken]

I think it is a bit odd to put in a supermarket. Maybe at a kiosk in a mall or in a record store, but a supermarket??? Hmmm.

 

[}:8) Supermoo]

Why MP3s? Why not burn CDs or MiniDiscs? Now all the players are going to have to be compatiable etc.

I'd say it would be much better to do it like the Japanese on MiniDisc (in 7-eleven stores)... or the British on CDs (in Virgin MegaStores).

Still an okay idea, even if it is an old one

 

[Hobbes]

probably because: fast, more money for the supplier, no skipping, people are lazy to find everything themselves, copyright issues, etc. etc... any more? Oh yeah.. did I say $$$ for them?

 

[jw]

I have a rio 500, i love it, i think its a great idea. That is the only drawback to mp3 players from mini-disc players (you have to have your comp to put songs on it).

 

[}:8) Supermoo]

Originally posted by Hobbes
probably because: fast, more money for the supplier, no skipping, people are lazy to find everything themselves, copyright issues, etc. etc... any more? Oh yeah.. did I say $$$ for them?

Let's adress these one at a time:

speed of what? It can take all of four and a half minutes to burn a CD in a 16 speed burner...
with a MP3 player you have to use one widely recognisable format (eg. smartmedia, memory stick or compactflash), which is pretty hard to do
Or use a USB connection which involves fiddling around with cables etc. So it may only take one minute to actually transfer, but four minitues to set up your player and fiddle with it!

more money for supplier why bother with a supermarket? that cost money! If they really wanted to make a profit they'd just sell CDs or just set up sales online!

no skipping bottom of the barrel here! Oh well, not everyone uses portable equipment... you can easily play a CD at home! Also MiniDiscs are suprisingly hard to skip, and skipless portable CD players have been made.

people are lazy to find everything themselves, exactly why they are too lazy to get an MP3 player?

copyright issues, MiniDiscs and CDs are RIAA approved digital mediums, why the labels use them. MP3 is not due to it's copyright issues!

any more? Oh yeah.. did I say $$$ for them?
A CDR costs all of 50c for a label.
A MiniDisc costs around 30c to a label.
Such huge amounts of $$$!

Hmmmm... looks like I'll have to let this one go there was a smilie involved! sorry man!

A complete and udder fool, and MiniDisc fan...