New Lenovo PCs cue up free Napster service
Buyers of most new Lenovo laptops and desktops will get to relive the good old days of free music via Napster--for a couple of weeks, at least.
The PC maker and the once notoriously embattled digital-music pioneer announced Friday that Lenovo customers will get a free, 14-day trial subscription to Napster To Go. The service lets users listen to songs on their PC and transfer an unlimited number of music tracks to any compatible MP3 player or music-enabled cell phone without paying per track.
The beleaguered online-music company is clearly looking for ways to attract new subscribers. After a high-profile court battle silenced the free peer-to-peer service, its attempts to resurface as a legitimate subscription-based music service haven't put it back on top. The addition of 6 million DRM-free MP3s would've been more impressive, if Amazon MP3 weren't doing the same.
Napster announced to shareholders last month that it's still employing investment bank UBS and may be positioning itself for "strategic alternatives" to keeping the company public--i.e. a sale.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie.
