Nokia To Use Microsoft Digital Music Software

BCMM writes "From an article on Reuters: 'The world's largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and software giant Microsoft struck a deal on Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music on-line and play it back on their handsets ... Nokia agreed to put Microsoft's music player software into its handsets.'" (The BBC covers the deal as well.) "The articles don't mention what sort of DRM or licensing will be involved." jfanning writes "Two new Series 60 phones were also announced that ship soon and support WMA, the 6680 and 6681. I haven't seen it mentioned clearly yet, but also the Media Transfer Protocol has been licenced, so that could mean the phone will show up as a media device in Windows Media 10." jfanning mentions also that Nokia has licensed the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol for business phones.

Because after all, we all love...

[Tackhead]

> struck a deal on Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music on-line and play it back on their handsets ...

...aah, in rapture to Beethoven's Ninth, compressed to a 32kbps mono .WMV, gloriously rendered on a tinny piezoelectric speaker.

Turning phones into music rental devices seems to fall under the "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" category.

Even if you stuck a headphone jack into your phone to get around the shitty piezo speaker problem, consider that if you actually plan to use your phone for something (oh, I don't know, say, talking on it?), why would you want to wear down its battery by playing music on it?

People that buy these...

[Sheetrock]

Are definitely into it for the gadgetry rather than the purpose. Unfortunately, that serendipity in addition to the average longevity of cellular hardware and batteries in general contributes to a major environmental problem.

Granted, the manufacturing processes have gotten better, or at least have been outsourced to other countries, but we desparately need to find a way to extend the life of old electronics and recycling components in order to develop a environmentally-safe and sustainable electronic culture.

Too much of even a good thing makes you barf.

[nomad63]

I am talking about consolidation here. You consolidate your PDA with your phone. Fine. It was a wise move not to carry two separate address/phone books. It was vital and trivial decision for the business minded. But Music on my phone at the same time in return for a M$ DRM installed on my phone ? I don't know how'bout you but I do not feel my contacts staying secure after some piece of micro$oft code placed in my phone.
Obviously this unti is going to be targetted at the college kids but, how many college kids have the money to throw away on DRM'ed song downloading anyway.
In my opinion, this is going to be another one of Nokia's flops.

Now...

[CapnGrunge]

Clueless cellphone users will add to clueless computer users for us to deal with.

Do I get a refund

[sulli]

if I just keep the damn thing on vibrate all the time? I hate those )(@#&@!#@!#& ringtones.

What will it do really well?

[Perl-Pusher]

So they have a phone that can play windows media, does it do it well? For what purpose would I want this? My daughter has a phone that takes pictures, real crappy pictures. She's always using my digital camera, so she must think so too.

My daughters and I have iPods, we connect them to our car stereos, the home stereo, manage it with our computer and I even use it to play music in between sets in my band. What advantage would there be having a cellphone play music? What happens if a call comes in while attached to my PA system? I'm sorry but I want device that does it's main function really well, not a bunch of mediocre features slapped together in a phone.

Thank you!

[pair-a-noyd]

Now I know which mobile phone NOT to buy when I ever do switch service.
I wish someone would publish a list of the popular carriers, the models they sell and the OS the different models use.