iLounge

1

Unfortunately, it will only offer music in the new .wal format.

Posted by mcdj on November 6, 2003 at 7:50 AM (PST)

2

i wonder if they will sell their music edited, like they do in their stores?

Posted by Fiddytree on November 6, 2003 at 7:54 AM (PST)

3

Walmart selling music online? Something tells me that there service will be powerfully lame.

Posted by Jerm on November 6, 2003 at 8:22 AM (PST)

4

they have such a horrible selection in thier stores.  If it is the same as that, it will be terrible…

Posted by duh on November 6, 2003 at 8:45 AM (PST)

5

Now I know where to go for my Billy Ray Cyrus mp3s.

Posted by Oxhead on November 6, 2003 at 8:50 AM (PST)

6

I think a lot of you just don’t get this.  This will potentially be HUGE!  Wal-Mart accounts for a massive amount of sales in the US and there a lot of people who shop there who know nothing about technology.  They can go to Wal-Mart, buy the music player and then turn to Wal-Mart for their music.

Even though the iPod and ITMS may be the King of the Hill, there are a lot of folks who don’t buy what the #1 piece of hardware or software is and will easily spend a lot less on an MP3 player and then turn to Wal-Mart to buy their online music.

Don’t forget that even though ITMS is now on Windows doesn’t mean all Windows users will now buy iPods.  Every other music player out there supports WMA and like or not, most folks will eventually end up there unless Apple either makes the iPod WMA-compatible or licenses the AAC-format to other on-line stores.

Posted by Wildman_CAL on November 6, 2003 at 9:09 AM (PST)

7

This is quite possibly the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while…
Wal-Mart has such horrid stores, I can’t imagine them having a successful online venture. The stores are overcrowded and very dirty, they’re just not kept up well (like Target is). Also I don’t know who in their right mind would download from a Wal-Mart prog. when there is BuyMusic, Napster and iTMS which will no doubt be an infinately better service. I suppose low-tech people who don’t know what’s going on in the tech world who happen to see an adv. in their local Wal-Mart might use the service, but…

Also the last thing we need is another music d/l service. With MTV’s service, Wal-Mart’s service, all the existing services and who knows how many future services there are to come, the legal d/l world is going to get very confusing…

Posted by mongoos150 on November 6, 2003 at 9:42 AM (PST)

8

amen

Posted by dogg on November 6, 2003 at 9:43 AM (PST)

9

Gee, now with Napster, iTunes, Walmart’s service, MTV’s service, MusicMatch, and BuyMusic, I’ll never run out of music or incompatible formats!

Posted by Jeremy on November 6, 2003 at 10:07 AM (PST)

10

I think the thing to remember here is that people shop at Wal-Mart because of lower prices and the convenience of getting everything in one spot.  Price and convenience are higher priorities to these folks than cleanliness or great service or “coolness.” 

If Wal-Mart’s proposed music store follows their retail business model, they’re going to have a huge catalog of songs (by forcing labels to participate if they want in-store action, too) for slightly lower prices than almost everyone else in the marketplace.  While I think it’s too early to say whether that model will work in the online music marketplace, I think anyone who wants to come in and lower prices can only be a good thing for us, the consumers.

Even if we wouldn’t be caught dead shopping in a Wal-mart.

Posted by gordyhulten in Urbana, IL on November 6, 2003 at 10:46 AM (PST)

11

They should offer in only WMA format.  Wal-Mart Audio…14kb/s mono.  That’s the “target” audience…

I hate Wal-Mart.  Not because the stores are dirty, or any aesthetic reason.  I hate W-M as a corporation as a whole.  I have seen them do some really stupid things as policy.  For instance, haveing a police officer meet a lady at the photo counter for developing pictures of her baby in the bathtub.  The manager thought she was deling in child Porn.  At least the officer was cool about it.  he looked at the manager like “you have got to be kidding”.

Posted by jerry on November 6, 2003 at 11:21 AM (PST)

12

What bugs me most about WalMart is that they are predatory corporate parasites and are successful only because of hidden corporate welfare.

They use slave labor overseas and pay subsistence wages to their staff. Their artificially low prices let them move into communities and destroy local businesses. Where do these former business owners and workers go? Why, to work at the WalMart.

Then when everyone is impoverished and working for WalMart the wages even for full-time are too low to a family to subsist on. So people with family wage earners in WalMart probably get low-income tax credits.

So basically we taxpayers funnel billions of dollars to WalMart employees, in effect subsidizing WalMart’s criminally low wages. This is corporate welfare, plain and simple. We are paying WalMart to destroy local communities.

And don’t even get me started on their sexual harrassment and union busting!

Posted by meehawl on November 6, 2003 at 11:43 AM (PST)

13

Does anyone in the world even buy their music at Wal-mart?

Posted by Keith on November 6, 2003 at 12:04 PM (PST)

14

the people that shop at wal-mart don’t even know how to use computers.  seriously.  they barely can use a toothbrush.

Posted by eric on November 6, 2003 at 12:21 PM (PST)

15

word up eric, you got that right!

Posted by HA! on November 6, 2003 at 12:30 PM (PST)

16

I might be wrong but I heard someone say that wal-mart was one of the largest retail sellers of music.

Posted by cougardew on November 6, 2003 at 12:51 PM (PST)

17

if thats the case then god help us all….i thought all their music was PG….

Posted by jegonzales on November 6, 2003 at 1:47 PM (PST)

18

i don’t know why ANY music lover would shop at their stores. edited music because they want to protect the children, how disgusting!

Posted by Fiddytree on November 6, 2003 at 1:55 PM (PST)

19

As mentioned before, this will be a wonderful source for downloading the latest Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, and Justin Timberlake songs at discount prices.  Which is a good thing.  If you’re into that.

For anyone older than age 16, it will mean absolutely nothing.  Also a good thing.

Posted by nuclear monk on November 6, 2003 at 8:37 PM (PST)

20

Think about their leading edge security system and how they will extend it to music downloads.

After the download, a old guy in a blue vest will come to your house smile and tell you to have a good day. They he’ll put tape on the on-off switch of your computer.

Iron clad security.

Posted by David Alston on November 7, 2003 at 4:00 AM (PST)