Re:Good and bad (Score 1)

I agree fully. My use is often very similar. Other times, though, I do download newer songs. My intention is not to rip anyone off or get a free ride, but to make sure that when I purchase a CD, I'm getting something I'm going to enjoy. To put this in the proper context, my CD purchasing pattern may be a bit strange. I don't hear a song (or a few songs), decide I love it (them), and go out and buy it. My purchases are made when I happen to be at a music store with a little extra cash. It has been that way since long before I had even heard of MP3s. As such, Napster has had no affect on the amount of money I've thrown at the record companies; only on which title it goes to. I use Napster largely as a "try before you buy" service. I hear one song by a new band that I like... I download a couple more to see if there's more that I like... and I file the information away in my head for the next time I happen to be standing around the music store looking to purchase something. To summarize, Napster has not altered my status as a customer of the music industry; it has simply made me a much happier customer. As has been said, though, I may very well be a minority in this matter.