MegaSite Mania

When the original peer to peer file sharing Napster went offline in July of 2001, many music fans and critics wondered if that would be the end of Napster forever. Their question would soon be answered. Napster eventually regrouped after being purchased by Roxio, the music software company, and re-launching as Napster 2.0 in October of 2003. Napster 2.0 was the new, completely legal and legitimate way for Napster fans to acquire their favorite music or find out about new artists. The new Napster 2.0 was greeted with a combination of anticipation and skepticism. How would the new Napster 2.0 compare with its immensely popular (and perhaps more importantly: free) predecessor? And perhaps even more important to the future of the Napster brand, how would it hold up against its competitors in the world of online digital music?

First, how does Napster 2.0 compare with the original Napster? Well, besides the fact that music is no longer free, some fans of the original Napster may be upset to find that Napster 2.0 puts a limit on the number of times you can burn a song, even if you have purchased it. Another big difference: the number of files available for purchase and download. Napster 2.0 is restricted to offering its members only the songs it has the rights to sell.  

Although its impressive music catalog is always steadily growing, it is still a possibility that you will not find exactly what you are looking for on Napster 2.0 (or other digital music stores). This was not really a problem with the original Napster. At its peak, the original Napster had millions of people uploading and downloading files.

Chances are, you would be able to find even obscure titles. Not so, for Napster 2.0. Another difference is that even if you find the full-length album that you are interested in, it may not contain all the songs that you would get if you bought the album at the store. Online digital music stores often have to sell ‘partial’ albums if they cannot get the rights for all the songs. Finally, one of the major differences between Napster 2.0 and the original Napster incarnation is that users will only be able to access the new Napster if they are working from a Windows 2000 or Windows XP platform. In order to use Napster 2.0, you must also have access to a Windows Media Player 7.1 or newer, and Internet Explorer version 5.01 or higher.

But how does Napster 2.0 compare with the competition? The most notable competitors that Napster 2.0 has are the Apple iTunes Music Store, and Listen.com’s Rhapsody. The competition is always on the rise, and new competitors are always popping up, but for now let’s examine how Napster 2.0 stacks up against these two competitors. Although the numbers are always in flux, it appears that Napster has the edge over both competitors in terms of the number of songs it offers its users. However, the Apple iTunes Music Store appears to have a slight edge in the fact that the software can be used on more platforms than Napster 2.0. The Apple iTunes Music Store can be accessed using the Mac OS platform as well as Windows 2000 or Windows XP platforms. Both digital music stores compare evenly in the fact that they offer single downloads for 99 cents a pop.

As far as Listen.com’s Rhapsody (a subsidiary of RealNetworks), Napster 2.0 appears to be ahead in the number of songs its offers users. However, both companies are matched in the sense that they both offer premium services that allow users access to all songs for one price. However, one aspect of Rhapsody that may appeal to some users is the fact that it is accessible to users accessing the site from older operating systems.