Take a nap...at "NAPSTER"!
Written: Aug 23 '00 (Updated Oct 21 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Great Idea!
Cons: SO SSLLLOOOWWWW!
|
|
|
| wzardofodd's Full Review: Napster |
I wonder, did they get the name because of how long it takes to download?...Time enough to take a nap?
This controversial download utility is loaded with pro's and con's!
On the plus side, I was ecstatic when I found I could download a myriad of old, hard-to-find tunes directly to my Hard Drive! Such gems as Todd Rundgren's early "Nazz" albums, vintage Beatle's tunes, and obscure Arthur Brown recordings were available to the inquiring user with the appropriate "Search" criteria.
The utility allows the user to store downloaded items in a "Library" which is open to all Napster participants while on-line. Apparently, Security issues have been addressed.
When off-line, the individual user accesses his own "Library" and may organize his downloads into typical Windows files, by "Adding" or "Deleting" them from a "Play List". (Adding or Deleting songs into folders, will not delete them from the Master library. To delete selections from the library, just select and hit delete.)
Playing downloads is extremely easy, and the sound quality is relatively good. The User may double-click directly from the Library, or select music from File Folders. The "Player", configured as most audio players, can be set to "Play Continuously" or "Play at Random".
Napster also contains a "Chat" feature. Once you have selected a User Name, you may exchange thoughts and ideas via the Napster Chat Line. This is particularly useful when downloading a lengthy piece, and wondering if the remote user will stay Online long enough for the transfer to complete.
Which brings me to the most troublesome complaint about Napster.
Downloading is usually an extremely lengthy process. Depending on your processing speed, a 3 minute song may take as long as 45 minutes to transfer! A particularly lengthy piece could tie up your PC for hours! Expect most downloads to abort. (Last week I downloaded nearly thirty sings, and only succeeded with three.) Frequently, the transfer becomes a race to complete before the remote user decides to log-off. This wouldn't be as troublesome, if you could store a portion of the data, and return to complete the download at a later time.
I also found File management difficult. To begin with, files are frequently
mis-spelled and incorrectly named by arbitrary users. This also would not be a problem, if one could rename the file. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a way to rename files downloaded from Napster.
In addition to this, Napster would benefit from a bell, or whistle once it has completed a particular download. Unfortunately, the user must continuously check on the status of jobs. (To it's credit, the utility can be minimized and run while working in other applications, or reading mail, or playing games, or watching Lexx, or...)
As I pen this review, Napster has been ordered by the courts to cease operations by the end of August. Unless you've been living in a cave, or in Kansas (...studying Creationism in High School); you will concede the issue of Artists' rights as a controversial one. I find this situation to be sad, though as a former musician, I can see both sides of the coin. Unfortunately, the Record/CD companies are the only ones who will ultimately profit from this controversy.
...And those of us, who cannot find, or afford old musical classics, will be doomed to the horrors of "Pop Music".
.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
wzardofodd
|
|
Member: Wayne Brown
Location: Gansevoort, New York
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
ECCENTRIC, ECLECTIC, ELECTRIC! I'M NOT CALLED "THE WIZARD OF ODD" FOR NOTHING!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.