The Napster online music service will become available to Penn State students living on campus at the start of the spring semester, but it will only be accessible to those using Windows XP and Windows 2000.

Napster is looking into creating services that are compatible with other operating systems, but there are currently roadblocks, an official said.

"Macintosh hasn't provided a deal. They refuse to use Microsoft [Digital Rights Management]," said Seth Oster, Napster spokesman.

According to Microsoft's Web site, Digital Rights Management is a security feature used by copyright holders to protect their digital media content.

"Until they are willing to adopt this technology, it's impossible for us," Oster said. "We would like to make Napster available to Macs. It's just a matter of time."

The program, released to the public last week by Napster, is currently incompatible with other Windows operating systems and Macintosh computers.

On Friday, Penn State President Graham Spanier announced that Penn State students would be able to use the program as a legal means to obtain music through a file-sharing service. Terms of the deal have not been released.

The service will be offered to the approximately 18,000 students living in residence halls at all of Penn State's campuses starting Jan. 12. The other 65,000 students who do not live in residence halls will not be able to access files until fall 2004.

However, the cost of the service will still be incorporated into the $160 information technology (IT) fee that all students pay -- including those who will not have access to the service.

The IT fee will not increase as a result of the Napster agreement, Spanier said Friday. It is unclear how the cost of Napster will affect any services already provided through the IT fee.

Some students oppose the fact that all will pay for a service that only some will be able to use.

"My opinion is, and always has been, that only students who use the service should pay for it," said Michael O'Connor, last spring's Undergraduate Student Government information technology director.

"I'm glad the university is taking steps to insulate students from legal action, but I'm not necessarily sure this is the right path for the university to take," he said.

Drew Scarantino (freshman-biology), who attends Penn State Berks and lives off campus, said he had not been aware that off-campus students would not be able to access the service until fall 2004.

"If my money goes to something that I can't use, that is definitely not fair, he said. "I wouldn't protest it, because [the IT fee] doesn't increase, but it's still not right."

Joseph Jarzab (senior-management information systems), who lives on campus at Penn State Erie, said he and several friends are unhappy with the Napster agreement and are trying to persuade other students to boycott the service.

"Not only is our IT fee going to a program that many students are not even going to use, but streaming music can be done on the Internet already," he said. "Why send money to the recording industry? What are we really paying for?"

Kyle Templin, the Council of Commonwealth Student Government's (CCSG) academic affairs director, said this is one of CCSG's main concerns.

"Students are concerned they won't be getting [the service] until later, even though their IT fee is going to it," he said.

He is concerned that one or two of the Commonwealth Campuses might have to make upgrades to their servers to be able to handle Napster's service.

Macintosh user Mike Caputo (freshman-information sciences and technology) said he does not feel snubbed because he will not be able to use Napster.

"Not being a part of the Napster service won't affect Mac users much because they already have legal file sharing through iTunes," he said.

iTunes is available on Macintosh and Windows operating systems and allows users to access others' music libraries and play songs across a local network.

O'Connor said the university should look into using a service that is more similar to iTunes.

Students using Napster will be unable to listen to artists such as Madonna, The Beatles and Metallica, Oster said.

Still, some students say they appreciate the university's efforts to keep them out of legal trouble.

"It's nice that other people can use it and not worry about being prosecuted," said Macintosh user Alexandra Dauler (junior-international politics).