Tuesday, December 2, 2008

#22 - MOLDI (aka, Over Drive, aka, what?)

Much like it's namesake, this is the thing that's so old it's new again, like a sheen of fungus spreading over a log that, given enough time, turns into penicilin.

This is a service that, while CML has had a relationship with it for some time, hasn't rerally cracked the shell of the avergae customer. I've never had a customer come up to me about digital downloads or books (or anything else except for music) or how to get them. Most of the regular customers of our collection are still die-hard hardware users: cassettes and CDs, please. The stuff may circulate (I've heard the stats, "They're always checked out!") but you wouldn't know it.

The largest issue I've seen with MOLDI is that its collection is unappealing (old) and what is new can't always be had. Also, until rec3ently, you couldn't use it with the most popular digital device on the market: iPods. Now that you can, it's too late: iTunes sells what people want at a fraction of the cost (which they're willing to pay if they can own a good title) and without the horrible browsing interface, the works-when-it-wants-to website, and the front page full of titles that are largely unappealing to anyone under the age of 40.

It's a great idea, but because it's free, it's kind of a trade-off that doesn't pan out. You get what you pay for, and MOLDI too often proves it.

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