http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/ Engadget Comments for Cingular's music download service announced for 2006 http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/
Why would I pay money for a song that I can ONLY listen to on my phone and then lose forever if I upgrade that phone?

And a better question...why would I pay "slightly higher" fees for a song on iTunes which is infinitely more useful? I can transfer songs to my iPod, play them on my home stereo, burn them to CD, back them up to another hard drive, play them on other computers, play them in my car, strip the DRM using JHymn.

Cell companies are evil. The tobacco industry's bastard child.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/
The carriers need to make this distinction clear in their marketing. Of course, it's an artifical distinction, but at least you are providing the illusion of 'value-added' features with their more expensive downloads.

It's not any sort of long-term solution, but is something that is at least somewhat plausible for the carriers, and for consumers. They can't charge too much, even though they are already getting $2 for stupid 100kb MIDI files. I think around $2 will be palatable enough for consumers that they can generate some revenue, and exist side by side with regularly downloaded or ripped music.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/
Cingular hits you twice for their ringtones--the cost of the ringtone plus data. They will need to address that with the much larger data volume an mp3 track will involve.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/Dec 19th 2005 1:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/22/cingulars-music-download-service-announced-for-2006/
I do think the singular browsing system with Internet access and all the downloads that you can instantly purchase with a charge added to your phone bill is kind of a commercial gimmick, but I could care less about that anyway, if I wanted to do my Internet on the go I'd get a Blackberry.

It's also a really nice little phone that works very well, with excellent audio quality using headphones, making it quite practical.

I'd say the next step in the evolution of a phone-MP3 system is something that's compatible with the head unit in your car. A phone that will just plug into your head unit so that you can hear your phone calls over your car stereo system and speak back hands-free while also providing an additional inlet for music files. Whatever smart company develops that first is going to make a mint.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM