The Dark Side Returns

If you buy a Zune player from Microsoft then you'll be able to share your songs with your friends using its built-in wireless link.

However Microsoft, clearly worried about what the record companies will think, has decided that you'll only be able to listen to a transferred song three times, and that after three days you won't be able to play it at all. Says the BBC's Bill Thompson.

Zune could have been a deal competitor in the digital audio player market but Microsoft has not yet learned the lesson. It is described here and the outcome will be more expensive wars and another alternative on the market that will hack to monopolies.

I just do not understand why normally rational people cannot see that the market has changed.

Understanding that disintermediation is a major issue for companies is advice that the Public Relations manager must put before the board.

In the meantime, I will remove IE from my computer again.