Walt pans NAPS' Napster-to-Go

The Wall Street Journal's highly influential personal technology columnist, Walter Mossberg, reviewed Napster's (ticker: NAPS) Napster-to-Go music service. While his conclusion was that it "offers a real alternative" to iTunes, the review contained enough negative comments to put off any potential customer. Key quotes:

The Napster software used to access the service isn't as well designed, or as simple to use, as iTunes; and none of the compatible players is as good as an iPod.

If you stop paying your monthly fee, the music dies... In fact, you have to log onto the service with a PC at least once a month and plug in your portable player so that Napster can verify your paid status.

Downloaded songs can be stored only on up to three computers, not the five machines Apple allows; and each PC can copy music to only three portable players, not the unlimited number in Apple's system.

Napster can be far more confusing to use than iTunes. Not all songs can be rented. Some can only be purchased. Others can only be rented, and not purchased.

The Napster software is also clumsier than iTunes. You can't see the status of downloads or of song transfers to a portable player without switching to a separate window. Searching for music, and creating playlists, is more awkward than in iTunes.

...I ran into repeated problems transferring rented songs to the iRiver player.

You can read the entire review (free, and no subscription required) here.

NAPS chart below.