This week saw the launch of BuyMusic.com, a music download service in direct competition with the iTunes Music Store. However, initial reports about it are negative and here are a few reasons why, if you’re a Windows user, you may want to wait until the Windows version of the iTunes Music Store becomes available:

• The site is only accessible to Internet Explorer running on Windows

• Your rights to the music you’ve bought are restricted as your licence to make copies of songs varies depending on the record company the music is from

• Downloaded songs can’t be played on an iPod

• The songs are in Windows Media Format

• The advertising campaign is a rip-off of Apple’s, which shows a complete lack of originality and innovation.

• The site is, apparently, buggy

  Sources:

• A Thousand Dotcom Deaths

• Wired News: Lots of Music, and One Big Flaw

• Ars Technica: Buymusic.com to take on iTunes Music Store, others