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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Harmond who wrote (61301)	6/8/1999 8:20:00 PM
From: Lizzie Tudor	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

Look - I've got a new toy. How Kis sees himself: Actually, I thought he avoided most of the direct questions. Typical evasion tactics.. Bezos would make L. Ron Hubbard proud. Message 10038570 How I see KIS (elmer fudd-speak): Actuawwy, I thought he avoided most of the diwect qwestions. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Typicaw evasion tactics. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! . Bezos wouwd make W. Won Hubbawd pwoud. The Dialectizer: rinkworks.com

To: Bill Harmond who wrote (61301)	6/8/1999 9:12:00 PM
From: 16yearcycle	Respond to of 164684

Tuesday June 8, 7:42 pm Eastern Time Amazon may have edge in emergence of online music By Scott Hillis LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Reuters) - Internet retailer Amazon.com, (Nasdaq:AMZN - news) which on Tuesday launched a special area on its Web site offering songs for free downloading, is not the first company to venture into online music, but it could turn out to be one of the most successful. Amazon's pervasive brand name and intimate knowledge of customer spending habits may give it an advantage in bringing the music industry further into cyberspace, analysts say, because major record labels may be more inclined to give the leading Internet retailer access to their artists. For months, a host of Web sites, such as MP3.com., have offered tens of thousands of near CD-quality songs for free downloading. But most of the tunes are by little-known musicians who wouldn't merit a second look from a major record label. At 25 songs, Amazon's menu is much smaller, but features new music by artists many people have heard of, such as country star Lyle Lovett, folk singer Sarah McLachlan and alternative rockers Pavement. ''We wanted to launch with a manageable number of songs and then expand it moving forward,'' said Greg Hart, Amazon's product manager for music. ''At some point, we will definitely offer digital download sales.'' So far, record companies have kept their rich music catalogs tightly shut to online distributors, fearing that a lack of strict copyright protection for downloaded music will bite into profits of the $40 billion-a-year industry. Analysts said the new service would help establish Amazon as a reliable provider of fresh content from popular artists. ''Downloadable music is ultimately inevitable ... and I think Amazon is attempting to capture as much mind share and market share as they possibly can,'' said Derek Brown, an analyst with Volpe Brown Whelan in San Francisco. Brown said music labels would be eager to work with Amazon because of the Seattle, Wash.-based company's deep pool of customer spending data that enables it to pitch books and compact discs directly to those most likely to buy them. ''That is an incredible value,'' Brown said. ''When the (music download) experience does become fairly routine, Amazon.com will be in position to capture that opportunity.'' That day could be some time off, however, as music, software and hardware companies hammer out standards that make online music convenient for consumers while thwarting bootleggers. In the meantime, Amazon expects the new music page (www.amazon.com/music-downloads) to boost sales of CDs by giving listeners a chance to hear new music before they buy. Other analysts were skeptical that the project would add anything to Amazon's bottom line. ''I don't really think this has much significance,'' said Rick Berry, an analyst with J.P. Turner & Co. ''Obviously, they have broad appeal to people ... but the bottom line is the stock more than reflects their value so far and remains way overvalued.'' And citing worries that more customers have been clicking on to Amazon's auction site rather than buying books and CDs, another analyst, Dean Ramos of George K. Baum & Co., said on Tuesday he cut estimates for Amazon but retained a neutral rating on the stock. The company's stock fell $5.81 to $111.56 in trading on the Nasdaq market on Tuesday.