Download downloads mp3 music unlimited

Finally, we have at least four online music stores for Windows that are decent alternatives to peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. Apple's iTunes, Napster 2.0, and the new MusicMatch Jukebox let you download songs for about 99 cents each (and most albums for $9.99), and they all have a simple approach to digital rights management. (For reviews, see First Looks.) The fourth service, BuyMusic.com, has many of the same songs as its competitors but with a complicated pricing scheme and rights policy.

iTunes was the first major service to offer pay-as-you-go downloads of single songs, and it has a lot of exclusive content from artists, including the Eagles and Sarah McLachlan. You'll find the favorite playlists of popular artists as well as 5,000 audio books. The latest version lets you easily share music with other computers, buy gift certificates, and give the kids an allowance.

The downside: Although iTunes can create MP3 files, its native file format is AAC, so tunes can be played back only from iTunes or an iPod. If you already have music in Windows Media (WMA) format, you'll need another music player.

Napster 2.0, now owned by Roxio, marries the online store concept with an updated version of the company's pressplay service. So you can use it either as a store or as a streaming music service. Unlimited streaming costs $9.95 a month—good if you have broadband and use just one computer. Extras include a message board and a feature that lets you see what your friends are playing (if they let you).

Napster is primarily a store. It's not designed for ripping CDs, and it doesn't have many of the jukebox features of the other services. Napster is planning a plug-in that lets you use Windows Media Player (WMP) to manage the rights to Napster's files. Napster supports only a single digital music player, but since it supports WMA files, you can use WMP to put music on many other digital music players that WMP supports.

Still the best jukebox on the PC, MusicMatch Jukebox offers a slightly smaller library than the other two services, but it's better integrated with the jukebox and radio features. As a result, its personalized recommendations can really help you discover new music.

The Artist On Demand feature is part of the $4.95-per-month MusicMatch MX service. MusicMatch Downloads are in WMA format, and Jukebox also plays MP3s. The service supports several digital music players.

So which one do you choose? If you have an iPod and are sure to stay the Apple route, then go with iTunes. If you want more flexibility in a music player (maybe you have a flash memory–based player instead of a hard drive–based one), then you need Napster or MusicMatch Jukebox. If you're going to use a service mostly on your desktop, then Napster is the best. But if, like me, you have an extensive collection of music on CDs, then MusicMatch Jukebox may be the best choice for occasional downloading.

Holiday Gift Advice

It's that time of year again. I'm already getting more questions than usual from friends about what computer to buy for the holidays. You've got several choices this year: the traditional consumer desktop, the dedicated gaming system, the Media Center PC, the all-in-one machine, and the consumer notebook. Most people will be happy with any of today's midrange models. For about $1,000, you can get a system with a 2.4-GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor or an AMD Athlon 2400 or better, 512MB of RAM, a graphics accelerator, an 80GB hard drive, Windows XP, and a CD-RW drive.

If you have an interest in video editing, look for a system with a FireWire port and a DVD–recordable drive, which is also a smart idea for anyone who backs up files frequently. A Media Center PC is the way to go for people who want to use their computers to record and watch TV shows, view photos, and listen to music from 10 feet away. I have one of those at home and like it a lot. Gamers should get a system with one of the high-end graphics accelerators and multiple optical drives.

If you travel occasionally—between home and college or office—then you'll be happy with one of the new consumer notebooks. You can get one with a 15- or 17-inch-wide screen, which is big enough to watch movies on. Most people will buy Windows-based systems, but for the more graphics-minded, an Apple desktop or notebook is a better choice. Macintosh systems deliver a more integrated set of built-in applications—and less security worries. The trade-off, however, is that fewer applications are available for Mac OS than for Windows—especially the latest bleeding-edge games.

Gadgets, Peripherals, and Other Gifts

The selection of holiday gifts that work with PCs is plentiful, from digital music players and fancy mice to keyboards and software. For "Gadget Mania," we collected some of our favorite gadgets and peripherals, and for After Hours, we reviewed our favorite holiday software. A digital music player is my favorite gift recommendation, but a keyboard, a mouse, a Web camera, and speakers also make wonderful gifts. Or you may want to pair a digital camera with a photo printer. One thing's for sure: Buying peripherals is easier than ever, now that plug-and-play technologies like USB have worked their way into the market.

Strides in Searching

I'm always looking for neat little products, and I recently got a couple that are worth your attention. A few months back, I wrote about the new Google toolbar, and now the folks from AltaVista have made their own toolbar. Like the Google version, AltaVista's offering lets you search directly from the toolbar (using the AltaVista search engine, of course), and it blocks pop-ups. And like Google, it can translate a Web site into different languages. But it also lets you do currency conversions and quickly get the weather and time for a particular location. You can find it at www.altavista.com/toolbar. I find that the Google toolbar is a bit faster for most tasks, but if you frequent international sites, try AltaVista's version.

Amazon.com has launched a neat new feature that lets you search for keywords within the text of books. Title and author searches are old hat, but text search can help you uncover a wider selection of books on a particular topic. About half the books on the site are indexed this way. Such a search may overload you with titles, but I like the concept, since it makes even more information accessible to more people.

Gadget of the Month

The Etymotic Research ER-6 Isolator earphones (www.etymotic.com) are tiny earphones that fit into the ear canal and deliver great sound. Of all the headphones I've tried—and I've tried a lot of them—they block outside noise the best. I wouldn't wear them outdoors because of safety concerns, but they're fantastic for wearing at home or on a train. For more general-purpose use, however, I still prefer the excellent Sony MDR-NC11 Noise Canceling Headphones.

Copyright ?? 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.