Microsoft is just as awesome as Apple.

Recently, I discovered that music purchased from iTunes has a shelf-life of 5 computers. That means that any song you purchase can only be played on up to five computers.

I discovered this when I re-wrote my existing computer and tried to play a song on here. iTunes told me that this was the second of five computers I had the right to play the song on. And yet, this is technically the same computer as the first one. So, two lives gone on one computer equals angry KB.

I have four other computers. That means I can’t put the songs I’ve downloaded on all my computers. That’s a shame. And guess what I chose to do next. I chose never to download from iTunes again. Nice work, Mr. Jobs. Good thinking.

Now today, I read an article that Microsoft has done something similar, but worse - if that’s possible.

Microsoft’s decision effectively places an expiration date of about three to five years on song libraries that MSN Music customers thought they had purchased for life.

Classy. If you were one of the unsuspecting people who purchased music through MSN, your music is about to expire. Ha ha. You’re dumb.

And here, the bigwigs retain their fat bank accounts with our hard earned dollars, while we unwittingly utilize resources, goods, and services that all along have been rented, not purchased.

Fantastic.

~ by KB on April 23, 2008.