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rental mp3 player

MP3 Player Rental
  (+2, -3)
(+2, -3)
  [vote for,
against]

There are rental cars, furniture, tools, but not MP3 players. What is the logic in being able to rent MP3's from Napster, but being forced to buy a player to put them on? Maybe a few individuals rent their players out, but if national chains would do so it should catch on. Not everyone can afford the $300+ pricetag on most of them, and sometimes portable music is only necessary for the once or twice a year airplane ride, which wouldn't be worth spending so much money to get so little use.
StorDuff, Jul 04 2005

Froogle Search: MP3 Player http://froogle.goog..._s&tab=wf&scoring=p
Starting at $17.95 [contracts, Jul 04 2005]

[link]






       My USB disk cost me £40 (about $80, a couple of years ago) and will play mp3s. It costs about half that now. Only stores 128mb or about 2 albums though. However, interesting idea.
david_scothern, Jul 04 2005
  

       There isn't a $300+ pricetag on most of them, though. Only on the most egregiously overpriced trendy ones. There is a whole host of low-price, high-capacity models on the market.   

       Adding to this is the problem of stocking the MP3 player. If this would just be a question of "hey, let me get an iPod for the next six hours - - it's going to be a long flight" then how long would it take you to select, procure, and populate the machine with music?
contracts, Jul 04 2005
  

       I'm sure there is a market for that somewhere, perhaps if with the rental fee you got a better and better mp3 player as the technology got better. +
sartep, Jul 05 2005
  

       The $300 tag on the unit probably does not warrant a rental outright, BUT you have made a avery god point.   

       Mobile phone contracts often include the phone for free and get the 'rental' from call value.   

       Now how about a 'free' MP3 player that can receive the 'latest Sony™ and Warner™ tunes' -- at a cost per subscription that eventually covers the player.   

       Someone at HB-Central needs to get an MBA and push these ideas in the 'meatspace' (real world).
not_only_but_also, Jul 05 2005
  
      
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