Switching from one service to another is non-trivial if you've accumulated playlists or favorites. You basically have to either write it all down and re-do it by hand, or start over out of principle.
The subscription model is the modern equivalent of the Columbia Music House. They'll send you music relentlessly even when you don't want it, only in this case if you cancel it all goes away and you've got nothing to show for it.
You'd have to be diligent to use those ten free downloads a month. You can't bank them, can you?
> The subscription model is the modern equivalent of the Columbia Music House.
This is a ridiculous comparison. Do you pay for Netflix? Hulu Plus? Cable? Internet access? These are all subscription services.
Does it cost you infinite money to read Hacker News? Or to watch "Frasier" on cable or Netflix? Of course not. Zune Pass doesn't cost infinite money, either.
Columbia House was (is?) very nearly the opposite of a subscription. You paid for a crappy CD every month. You owned it. You didn't get inclusive access to a catalog.
The subscription model is the modern equivalent of the Columbia Music House. They'll send you music relentlessly even when you don't want it, only in this case if you cancel it all goes away and you've got nothing to show for it.
You'd have to be diligent to use those ten free downloads a month. You can't bank them, can you?