is qtrax p2p version of vaporware

Qtrax Off-Track: Is it the Music Version of Vaporware?

As I indicated yesterday, I'll believe it when it happens: free,

legal, unlimited downloads from all the major labels and more. Right.

So far it hasn't worked out that way.

For one, the site keeps pushing back its launch. It was supposed to be

over the weekend. Then it was 12:01AM Monday. Now the site says it'll

be tonight.

Also, Qtrax said it had deals with all four major labels. This sounded

too good to be true, because it was hard enough for Amazon MP3 to sign

all four labels with a more conventional offering. Well, although the

Times Online announced the new service this morning, it also later

posted a later story embarrassingly (for Qtrax) titled "Music

file-share site Qtrax forced into humiliating U-turn." Yep, as many

(including myself) suspected, it appears all the deals that Qtrax had

been talking about haven't happened.

All four labels deny any deal with Qtrax, although Universal did

indicate it was in discussions with Qtrax.

Alan Klepfisz, CEO of Qtrax said,

"We are not idiots. We wouldn't have launched the service in front

of the whole music industry unless we had secured its backing. We

feel we have been unfairly crucified because a competitor tried to

damage us. Everyone is very upset. We do have industry agreements

including the major labels. Even today we are working on more

deals."

He added that although "ink hadn't dried" on some of the deals, Qtrax

still planned to deliver on its promises "within months."

Hadn't dried? If you listen to the labels, it sounds like the ink

hasn't even been put down on paper yet.

In addition, as we know, with the Qtrax app being required for

searching, downloading and playing of tracks, despite their assertion

of "no spyware," you know there is some "phoning home" going on in

order to provide the number of times each track is played for revenue

purposes. Sounds like something that will get privacy advocates'

hackles up.

And with no iPod support (at least for now, if ever), will this

service be DOA? If it was me, I'd hold off ... unless you want to try

out their software just for comparison purposes.