After reading the article in the Collegian regarding the new music downloading service Ruckus, I decided to download the program and give it a test run ("PSU signs with Ruckus, ends service with Napster," April 27). The registration for the service was a breeze. Downloading the program was also very simple. I only had to make one minor adjustment to my operating system (updating to Windows Media Player 10). One unique aspect of Ruckus is the social networking site. It is very similar to Facebook but somewhat pointless when it comes to downloading music. As for the music selection, it was respectable. It even included The Red Hot Chili Peppers, which are unavailable on Napster.

One thing I was looking forward to with Ruckus is the movies; unfortunately, the movie selection was horrendous. If you're looking for any well-liked and famous movie, chances are Ruckus doesn't offer it. While browsing for movies such as Wedding Crashers, Old School and Fight Club, no matches were found. However, Ruckus did offer a wide selection of unpopular 90's movies such as Natural Born Killers, L.A. Confidential and you can't forget the blockbuster Madonna: Truth or Dare! The layout of Ruckus is also somewhat confusing. It is not as simple to use as Napster, and it doesn't even come close to the ease of use of iTunes.

Overall, I think the university cheated its students out of a well-liked and reliable music service in Napster. I personally enjoyed using Napster and am sad to see it replaced by a cheap, commercialized site.