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iTunes Killer!! GBox to sell DRM-free music

last100.com — The way gBox is expected to work — it debuts August 21 and ends January 31, 2008 — is that the service will get referrals through ads that UMG purchases from Google at standard advertising rates.

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  • osc1882, on 10/10/2007, -14/+5I want allofmp3 back.
    But because I can't have that, I'll take this for 35 cents a track.
    • Tu13erhead, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9Ahem. http://mp3sparks.com/
      • wendelgee2, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Yeah, but now they want all of this registration information, and you KNOW that the next step for the RIAA on this thing is going after domestic users. ***** that. That source is blown.
        • EztliNahua, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"Yeah, but now they want all of this registration information"

          They've always wanted all of this, as long as I've been a member (1+ year).
      • robfitzonbass, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Besides, you cant use credit cards on mp3sparks
    • lateralus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Easy, go to http://www.gomusic.ru
  • Alegoo92, on 10/10/2007, -6/+44But how can something kill iTunes without something else killing the iPod?
    • Jambi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10Well, it's not so much a matter of killing iTunes as it is killing the iTunes store. Many people who use iTunes have never bothered using its store to buy music online, and many other customers will likely take a look at this option, thanks to the lower prices. So iTunes can go on just fine as a music player/organizer/synching program, with people playing music they've gotten from other online stores (or ripped or whatever) on their iPods.
    • virtualball, on 10/10/2007, -4/+10That's just it, it can't. People who use iTunes use it because it's easy, known, and always there. Perople aren't going to just move to something new if what they're using isn't broken.
      • thatsmyaibo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Well put. You have to stop thinking like a techy and start thinking like the average consumer. Apple is a trustworthy company that people won't mind using their credit card on and is easily integrated with the most popular of MP3 players. This won't dent the iTunes (store) market.
        • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I don't think people are too distrusting of Google either, but it doesn't matter since it doesn't integrate with the iPod like iTunes does.
        • Mikecol, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Exactly, and the tech market uses torrents, so I don't see where Google will have much of market.
      • angers, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2you can't say that because there was a point before where iTunes wasn't out and that winamp wasn't broken. there's always a chance for new software to take over as long as it is good.
        • Firehed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Winamp isn't a music store, and it worked fine last I checked. Nobody cares about killing iTunes, just the store - which is both a stupid idea and a badly worded title. Competition is good, but hardware integration is key and I don't see gBox pulling it off nearly as well as iTunes does.
      • davidrools, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1ITMS is broken because of DRM and overpriced non-DRM music.
    • renegadeafk, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2and many people with ipods don't iuse iTunes (Winamp ftw)
    • quikboy, on 10/10/2007, -7/+3I don't bother with iTunes at all. Compared to other media players, it's just not so cool. Especially on Windows.

      Frequent minor updates, magged up UI, slow and hard to find controls make the whole thing unwelcoming. It's better on the Mac, but many other media players are much better at their job. That's just the truth.
    • etandrib, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It will be interesting to see how gBox works… if at all. I'm not talking about the interface or the site I'm talking about the business model. Are they selling 128kbps MP3s? I pay the extra .30 for a higher quality track on iTunes and for it to be DRM free. They obviously don't have much confidence in their product as they are matching it up as "iTMS vs. Everyone else" and setting the price at .30 cheaper. I wonder what went wrong in the recent negotiations with Apple and Universal.
    • over9, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1iTunes is today's Realplayer.
  • dumuzi, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10I thought emusic is DRM free and has been since it started...
    • davidrools, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1but they have mostly independent/small time artists. UMG has the ones you hear on the radio.
      • linuxlizard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1> but they have mostly independent/small time artists. UMG has the ones you hear on the radio.

        Not like that's a bad thing.
  • Pifman, on 10/10/2007, -2/+42Killer. Really, killer? Does everything need to be the iPhone/Halo/iTunes KILLER! I think we'll see just how well this does when it comes out.
    • TheAngryMob, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5And really, why kill? Can't we all just get along?
    • neseus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I second that. I'm glad to hear someone else is sick of how the word KILLER is tossed around so liberally. Here's an idea, lets wait until afterward to say whether or not its a real KILLER. sigh.
    • richmessenger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I have yet to see a "killer" labeled correctly on diggn. None of these things are ever that successful
  • martel, on 10/10/2007, -4/+41iTunes killer. Silly internet user.
  • betasp, on 10/10/2007, -2/+23I went ahead and marked this as inaccurate.
  • helikopter, on 10/10/2007, -3/+19buried for being a petty douchebag. emusic has been around for years. allofmp3 was around for quite a while. ITUNES SELLS DRM FREE MUSIC NOW. get with it, you shmuck. itunes will die when the ipod dies and something better comes along. and guess what: YOU WON'T PREDICT IT.
  • kopasa, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Man, these killer labels are what are promoting such a violent culture. It's clear this Digg user has played way too much manhunt 2 and needs to be preemptively arrested for murder.
  • JHaze, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Thats going to have to be a VERY strong 5 months to break iTunes
  • evilpettingzoo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Well seeing as how google's video service was such a big hit. This is sure to kill Itunes. Itunes UI = good Google UI = fail.
  • Piedramente, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Another iTunes or iPod killer? Get in line. That promise has been made before, and we're still waiting.
  • GeForce8800GTX, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3More like care killer. Buried.
  • BigKenW, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4UMG is one company. When ALL other companies come onboard, lemme know. In the meantime, keep waiting for Amazon.com's new store. That MIGHT have a chance. Dugg down as inaccurate.
  • whatthehell9, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2They Killed Killer B.
  • vandy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Has anyone even tried using the gBox website? Absolute junk.
    • etandrib, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6gbox.com
      "Hey, you need to be on a Windows machine and use Internet Explorer to play with gBox."

      This isn't killing anything anytime soon. I wouldn't touch IE if someone paid me. A disclaimer like this just shows how incompetent and under developed the system is.
      • locojones, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hmmm, seems to work fine in Opera. WHatever.
    • davidrools, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2This article isn't about gbox.com. They're completely different. They're not selling DRM free mp3s. The google/UMG service is going to be integrated into google search, walmart, amazon, etc.
  • totorototoro, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6If I had a nickel for every service touted as an "iTunes Killer" I'd have....well, about 30 cents. But still.
  • lordshank, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4You'd have to buy mainstream music first. ***** the RIAA, buy independent (if you buy).
  • soil, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I don't know, I think all the music people want to buy will be purchased by then.

    /srcsm
  • Shandooga, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1iTunes killer? Highly unlikely. It would have to kill the iPod too and that just isn't going to happen.
  • cricoste90, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2Who the ***** buys music?
    Seriously, who?!?!
    • Radan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4*Raises hand*
    • bdbr, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2"Who the ***** buys music?"

      I buy music...from independent-label bands. If no one buys their music, they can't afford to tour or make more music. They're not getting rich off of $12 tickets.
  • Smiths, on 10/10/2007, -7/+3I just received my first iPod (a wonderful gift) and I can honestly say iTunes is an awful piece of software. As a music library manager, it leaves a lot to be desired. It also assumes that, as a customer, I'm a complete and utter moron. Seriously. If you think this interface is good, you need to read some more HCI books.
    • runeasgar, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Yeah, because people who write books on HCI are obviously on the up and up where computing software is concerned.
    • locojones, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2That's because the average Apple customer is a complete and utter moron.
      • blaze4metal, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Petty PC vs. Mac war in 3...2...1..
      • soapko, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2With a statement like that, I think we know who the moron is. No need for a PC vs. Mac war.
      • tubeblender, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0damn this comments system...
    • tubeblender, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0You are an utter moron.
  • lukifer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Can't all our software just get along?
  • airwalkery2k, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I've not touched iTunes since I got eMusic due to DRM. And because a lot of these indy artists aren't under the big-wig RIAA companies, I kill two birds with one stone. Three if you count supporting the indy artists.

    This will be good if I spot a song under Universal I can't go without, though clearly, that will only be one bird shot.
  • reechme, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0But iTunes does have the labels I listen to. If th music publishers are don't want to sell their music thru DRM free stores, they won't... so I won't buy 'em that way *groans*
  • DebbilsAdvocate, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1DRM isn't the only thing stopping me from buying music online. I also want high quality. MP3 does not cut it.
  • runeasgar, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3It won't kill iTunes.. just the Music Store. iTunes is still the best jukebox around.
  • wildman082, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1They killed Killer, B.
  • ajatus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I rather give my money to artists who are willing to share their music for free, therefore I prefer Jamendo - http://www.jamendo.com/
  • mparker7410, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4DRM free AND lossless. Anything less and I'm not buying.
  • insanebrain, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3p2p killed iTunes long time ago.
    • fuckinhell, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, iTunes is really hurting. Poor Apple.
  • imdwalrus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Yes...after discontinuing Google Video, robbing people of the ability to watch the videos they paid for and only offering a $5 Google Checkout credit in return, I'm sure that we can trust Google here.

    Even without DRM on the files, the way they handled Google Video's shutdown is enough to keep me from biting here.

    Also, the headline sucks - iTunes is a player / library management tool. Technically, this would be a "killer" for the iTunes Music Store.
    • bdbr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1RTFA. Google isn't selling it, they're just forwarding you to gBox.
  • rowlodge, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2heard it doesnt work with mac so....
  • TJATL, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3This will kill itunes when Ubuntu kills Windows.
  • Radan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Well, what's wrong with the DRM-free tunes sold at iTMS again? By the time that store opens, most likely all or at least a lot more music will be available at iTMS without the DRM. But either way, I don't think DRM is such a big deal anyway, I mean, at least I doesn't have more than 5 computers that need to play the music simultaneously.
    • Linh, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The store supposedly opens in a week. I don't think you'll be seeing much more DRM-free content on iTunes.
      • Radan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Ah, sorry, I didn't read it carefully enough. I thought it started in January.
  • geekmansworld, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Buried for using the word Killer.
  • gugin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2good lord I'm tired of hearing (product x) Killer. Idiotic. take off the tin foil hat. the aliens have your brain.
  • chrismag1979, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Die iTunes Die !!!!!!
  • ArnoldTPants, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1gbox is a terrible name. Please stop putting random letters in front of words.
  • joeyjojo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Ultimate, Apple will own Google or Google will own Apple so any issues of competition at this point are moot. ;o)

    That and while I love google, anything they touch ends up with the most unenjoyable interface.
  • bdbr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2This is actually an informative article...just try to ignore the stupid "killer" comment.
  • eaasness, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I thought this was the iTunes killer. http://amarok.kde.org/ (I know it does not have an attached music store).
    • jhuebel, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2amarok has been around for as long as iTunes has, I believe. So if it were going to kill iTunes, it would have done it a long time ago.
  • jhuebel, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Buried as inaccurate for having "iTunes Killer" in the title. Good luck with that.
  • ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hmm an attempt to kill the competition so that UMG can hike the price. Trouble is that a) the price isn't lower and b) Joe Public wouldn't know (and probably wouldn't care) what DRM is anyway.
  • dillibob, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1if they sell drm free videos too they have me onboard
  • peterman81, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Yea, but it has to work first to do any killing. And have a Gplayer or whatever pimp name they'll call it. Maybe huggy bear player.
  • peterman81, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0It'll have to work first to be a "killer" of Steve Jobs' babies. Oh, and they need a Gplayer, or some other pimp like name. Maybe huggy bear.
  • peterman81, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Damn digg interface. Sorry for the double post.
  • tubeblender, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Registered through GoDaddy.com
    Cupertino California
    December 1996
    The address of the registrant is interesting too...

    I thought they were based in Mountain View, CA?
  • moneyballs2, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Ewwwwww... That gbox site design is horrible. It's so cluttered.
  • maxsommers, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Not big enough to kill iTunes just yet but i saw that mTraks just started giving away 30 free songs to try their DRM-free site.
  •  

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