For Mac users out there who are members of the club hoping that someday, miraculously, Microsoft might update Windows Media Player to better support DRM files or offer CD burning in OS X, it's not going to happen. No more development for the software on the Mac platform, and it was last updated in 2003:

http://news.com.com/Music...&subj=news

Better make friends with someone who has a peecee (easy enough), hope for continued releases on iTunes (likely but not for all club releases), or wish for the club to offer downloads in a different format.

The more iPods get sold, the more Prince has to pay attention to the iPod/iTunes/Mac. 14 million iPods were sold just last quarter. The iTunes store has a 83% market share.

Is MS getting out of the WMP for mac market an early indication they are giving up in the music player battle? It's not good for their commitment to competing to just give away part of the market. And I suspect MacOS market share will grow significantly this year with the intel macs coming out.

alandail said:

Well, he doesn't have to, but he'd be smart to.

I think Microsoft's decision is akin to its decision with Explorer for Mac -- they know there's a superior product out there and there's no point investing time and money into developing their own competing software.

Microsoft is offering an add-in component for QuickTime that allows QuickTime to play Windows media.

http://www.microsoft.com/...laylang=en

Universaluv said:

Yes, but if you read further you'll find that DRM files (like the ones from the Musicology store) won't play using that plugin.