__/ [John A. Bailo] on Tuesday 10 January 2006 13:42 \__
> http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7001836085
>
> "Verizon Eliminates MP3 Compatibility And Apple, Linux Users
>
> January 10, 2006 2:39 a.m. EST
>
> Danielle George - All Headline News Staff Reporter
>
> New York, New York (AHN) - Verizon Wireless' new music service is only
> compatible with a Window's based media format.
>
> Verizon decided to eliminate the phones' previous ability to play MP3
> files, hoping to keep the phones' music features simple, according to a
> company spokesman.
>
> "We don't view this as restricting functionality," says Jesse Money,
> Verizon's director of consumer multimedia services.
>
> However, by limiting the music to Microsoft's Windows Media player
> format, Apple and Linux users will not be able to utilize the service.
>
> As it stands, Verizon's V Cast music service allows customers to
> download songs directly to their phones for $1.99 each, or to a PC fo"
That was Slashdotted yesterday and this morning it reached Yahoo News,
which is considered more 'mainstream'. This means that a wider audience
will get exposed to yet another format war and hopefully be able to under-
stand what Microsoft are aspiring (scheming) to achieve and who they know-
ingly punish.
It is rare to see that type of story hitting the main headlines as it
originally comes from some PHP-Nuke site (as far as I know). All there is
to the story is the spin with regards to Microsoft's relations with Veri-
zon. I can recall getting an MP3 player from my aunt and on the package it
said compatible with Windows Media Player 10 or something along those
line. It was very prominent and it emphasised the fact that it played WMA
files. I gave that offensive gadget to my mom.
Roy
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