14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has been little shy of slapping Apple over the cost of Mac computers in comparison with PCs, and the software giant shows no signs of stopping. Furthermore, it seems that the tactic is by no means limited to Macs vs PCs, and that marketing campaigns for other products are getting “infected.” The latest chapter in the Microsoft – Apple face-off is Zune Pass vs. iTunes. On the Zune.net home page, Microsoft is indicating that sticking with iTunes means that end users will have to give up music entirely. But they don't have to, the company argues, provided that they take the necessary steps to change the way that they pay for their content, namely embrace Zune Pass.
In the video embedded at the bottom of this article you will be able to see financial planner Wes Moss, former contestant on the “Apprentice," arguing that it makes no sense for customers to pay $30,000 for the music necessary to fill a 120 GB iPod via iTunes, when they can pay just $14.99 per month for the same volume of content on Zune Pass. The iTunes and Zune Pass, both music services associated with their respective iPod and Zune devices differ in the business model implemented. While iTunes charges customers $1 or more for a song that they get to own, Zune Pass offers unlimited access to the Zune music library, but ownership of just 10 songs every month.
Provided that the subscription is paid, Zune users can continue to access their music, otherwise they are limited to the songs they acquired at the rate of 10 per month. With Apple there is no subscription involved, every song bought from iTunes is owned by the end user. It appears that the Redmond company is ready to milk the price gap separating its offering from Apple's for all it’s got. But fact is that while there are indeed iPod users that have filled their devices with music, they certainly did not pay Apple $30,000. There are various sources of music available, both legal and illegal, permitting users to do without both Zune Pass and iTunes.
Wes Moss is offering no less than three reasons why the Zune Pass beats iTunes: “1. 14.99 vs. $30,00 – Say you and your friend each have a 120 GB music player. If you fill yours with Zune Pass and your friend fills his with iTunes, your friend will have spent $29,985 more than you did for the same songs. 2. buyer's remorse – if you end up not liking the songs you pulled down using your Zune Pass, just delete them and download some more. Won't cost you a cent extra. Meanwhile, your friend who pays per track is stuck – all sales are final with iTunes. 3. It's not a buyer’s market. It's a subscriber's market. In this economy (or any, for that matter), does it make sense to pay a whole dollar for a song when you could be pulling down whole discographies for less than 50 cents a day?”