Long on superlatives and short on specifics, today's announcement that power trio MTV, RealNetworks, and Verizon Wireless are joining forces to take on Apple in digital music had a certain hastily assembled quality, as if the three companies had hooked up last night in a crowded bar. Anyone who uses iTunes, a Mac, and an iPod for their digital music library knows that the most powerful advantage of the Apple system is its seamlessness.


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