BuyMusic Begins Blocking Mac Browsers

by , 10:00 AM EDT, July 25th, 2003

On Tuesday, we looked at the new BuyMusic store, but now, only a few days later, our efforts are foiled by an apparent block of all Mac browsers from viewing the site. While the site kind of worked before, it now does not work at all, stating:

Thank you for visiting BuyMusic.com.

In order to take full advantage of BuyMusic.com's offerings you must be on a Windows Operating System using Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher."

The Mac is not the only platform targeted. Attempts to load the page in Mozilla Firebird for Windows produce the same results. However, non-IE browsers in Windows have been blocked from the beginning, whereas Mac users could browse the site (but not purchase any music) until last night.

It's important to note that this block is not due to the site being non-functional in non-IE browsers, but merely because BuyMusic is intentionally preventing users of operating systems other than Windows and browsers other than Internet Explorer from browsing (or even looking at) the site. Some before and after shots in Camino for your viewing pleasure:

BuyMusic's site on Wednesday...	...and today.

You can see the blockage in effect by visiting BuyMusic's Web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

BuyMusic certainly has an odd definition of "full advantage." Given that sentence, one would expect to be able to look around, but not buy. Instead, if you have the gall to load the page in anything but Internet Explorer for Windows, you will be rudely dumped to an error page.

Putting such a block in place seems somewhat akin to a Chevrolet dealership forbidding Ford drivers from entering the lot and possibly buying a new Chevy. If those outside your demographic can't even see what they may or may not be missing, what's their incentive to switch? It may be true that Mac users aren't missing much by being unable to visit BuyMusic's site, but it's still not smart business sense.

In our opinion, it's BuyMusic's loss. We wonder if they carry Queen's Another One Bites the Dust...

BuyMusic