Throw RIM/Microsoft a life preserver or an anvil?

by tinyfroglet

Microsoft, RIM plan services to compete with Apple’s iTunes
[Via AppleInsider]

Two of Apple’s chief rivals are working on their own separate services to compete with iTunes, as Research in Motion has partnered with 7digital for its PlayBook tablet, and Microsoft is cooking up a secret project dubbed “Ventura.”

[More]

RIM is not working on their own – they are partnering with 7digital, a company that already has an app for Blackberry’s. 500,000 so far.  Of course, this is not an exclusive deal – Samsung already has one with 7digital.  Wow. Scary. Since the 7digital shop is available on iPad and iPhones also. What a stroke of genius – get a competing music service that also works well on the iPhone/iPad universe. That’ll provide some obvious separation.

I can see the consumer’s quandary – “Get a Blackberry Playbook that lets me download music from another site than iTunes or get an iPad that lets me download music FROM THE SAME SITE?”  What a selling point!

And MS is talking again about a new service for music, this time apparently doing to Zune what Zune did to Play for Sure.

I’m not seeing the convenience here for the average person. What are they going to provide that iTunes does not?