Di-worse-ifying: Microsoft losing focus
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| As 13,000 of its devotees gather in Denver, Microsoft is being
| criticized for losing its focus.
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http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6336165
Criticised by the same town that welcomes this event. They say Microsoft does
not innovate, fails to sell, and must evolve to the Web era. Free stuff and
subscription are the way to go. Music or software both apply.
Buy a newspaper, get the new Prince CD
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| Next Sunday, Prince fans in the United Kingdom will be able to get a
| new 10-song CD, Planet Earth, simply by buying a newspaper.
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http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9741522-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Related:
Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper's free Prince CD
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| The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free
| CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn
| widespread criticism from music retailers.
|
| The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that the 10-track Planet
| Earth CD will be available with an "imminent" edition, making it
| the first place in the world to get the album. Planet Earth will go
| on sale on July 24.
|
| "It's all about giving music for the masses and he believes in
| spreading the music he produces to as many people as possible,"
| said Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron. "This is the
| biggest innovation in newspaper promotions in recent times."
|
| The paper, which sells more than 2m copies a week, will be ramping
| up its print run in anticipation of a huge spike in circulation but
| would not reveal how much the deal with Prince would cost.
|
| One music store executive described the plan as "madness" while
| others said it was a huge insult to an industry battling fierce
| competition from supermarkets and online stores. Prince's label has
| cut its ties with the album in the UK to try to appease music
| stores.
|
| The Entertainment Retailers Association said the giveaway "beggars
| belief". "It would be an insult to all those record stores who have
| supported Prince throughout his career," ERA co-chairman Paul Quirk
| told a music conference. "It would be yet another example of the
| damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of
| value around recorded music.
|
| "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with
| behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available
| in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may
| be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday."
|
| High street music giant HMV was similarly scathing about the plans.
| Speaking before rumours of a giveaway were confirmed, HMV chief
| executive Simon Fox said: "I think it would be absolutely nuts. I
| can't believe the music industry would do it to itself. I simply
| can't believe it would happen; it would be absolute madness."
|
| Prince, whose Purple Rain sold more than 11m copies, also plans to
| give away a free copy of his latest album with tickets for his
| forthcoming concerts in London. The singer had signed a global deal
| for the promotion and distribution of Planet Earth in partnership
| with Columbia Records, a division of music company Sony BMG. A
| spokesman for the group said last night that the UK arm of Sony BMG
| had withdrawn from Prince's global deal and would not distribute
| the album to UK stores.
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http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html
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