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Thursday, August 17, 2000
Even as Napster evokes emotions for and against music downloading, some artists are creating their own models. A few weeks ago, Madonna made a public statement suggesting that powerful ol' Napster will make it difficult for her to pay for her daughter's schooling. Yet she later broke ranks with other concerned artists by posting her "Music" single on theNet before the album.
Did Madonna change her mind about downloaded music? Or does she have a new plan now that she has another baby?
A closer look at the "Music" download Web site provides the insight. It's a special mix of the tune -- a full 11-minute version, which she surrounds by in-your-face promotion for her new album, her Web site and other electro-Madonnables.
Roger McGuinn, founder of the Byrds, has also made his own deal -- in essence making the Napster debate somewhat less relevant. He gets 50 percent of the revenue derived from his songs by MP3.com, another music download Web site. In McGuinn's deal, both artist and listener win, whether Napster exists or not.
Q: I see ads frequently for computer shows in hotels and trade centers. Are these any good? Or are they fly-by-night operations?
A: I'd like to think that the majority of these are on the up and up, but I have not been to all of them. So I can't vouch for that. For the most part, these shows are run by people who make their money by charging vendors for booth space, and often charge an admission fee for people who want to shop. So the organizers can't be entirely responsible for the goods that are sold within their shows. If you're a serious buyer, it can be worth the price of admission so you can speak with a number of vendors in one easy trip. But if you don't buy anything, you've thrown away your price of admission -- unless, of course, your whole goal was to learn.
There are several risks you take when purchasing at these shows.
First, you run the risk of buying stale merchandise -- software that's not the most recent revision level, or hardware that doesn't meet today's standards for speed or compatibility. If you buy old software, you might be missing the product's currently advertised benefits, or might not be able to get support. Hardware that doesn't conform to standards might cause compatibility issues. Also, if you add a new, slow component to an existing system, you might slow down the performance of your system.
The other major risk is that the vendor in the show cannot be reached after the show. In most cases, this is not an issue. But if you need support, information about your configuration, or replacement parts, you may need to get to this vendor.
Have a question for David Radin? Contact him at his Web site
Deal with vendors at these shows as you would with any other vendor that you don't know well (including Internet vendors) -- don't pay with cash. Use your charge card. If you have a claim against the vendor, you may be able to put a stop payment on the charge until the problems are worked out. And if you don't trust the person in the booth, walk away without making the purchase.
The best way to make these shows work for you is to enter them as an educated consumer. Know the type of product you want, the current rev level of the software you seek, what the going prices are. Two good places to do your homework are computer magazines and the Internet. I've posted more tips that help you minimize your risks at www.insiderradio.com/pittsburgh .
David Radin is host of the nationally syndicated radio show Internet Insider, a local version of which is aired on KDKA AM 1020 on Saturdays at noon.
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