The alternative has to be clearly superior in one or more ways to the existing technology.

In this case, digital downloading of music (DDM) is already the ‘existing technology’, and it’s hard to see how trying to handle tiny microSD cards with individual albums is superior to DDM (for all the reasons you cite). In other words, it’s not at all clear to me what ‘problem’ slotMusic is trying to solve; it seems to be that slotMusic causes more problems than it solves.

The alternative has to be standardized so as to achieve broad support and use, including from third-party firms.

Well, microSD does have support from third parties (e.g., cell phone manufacturers), but it is still closely tied to SanDisk.

The alternative has to be able to be used in parallel with the consumer’s existing solution rather than require the consumer to abandon his/her current solution and all the financial, emotional, and intellectual investment in that solution.

An OK hit here — except for all those folks with devices that don’t have (and probably never will have) microSD slots.

The alternative needs to expand in utility and functionality, and decrease in cost, until the user is willing to let go of his/her prior solution.

Again, and per your comments, it’s hard to see how individual albums on microSD cards will be better, cheaper, and more functional than DDM.

It short, I think it’s a fail; too little, too late. ..bruce..

We had our chance and we lost it. In 2001 a friend who used to work as a country head of the rival music major BMG, told me that the top management were “running around like headless chickens”. Cut to Circa 2008 and a few cos less but not much of a difference!

In essence a generation has grown up around the world who have got used to free music, and nothing is going to change that.Mirco cards certainly wont.
Music will become free like videos are and will be used to promote the artist, who will make money from concerts etc. The publishing business will stay albeit in a smaller shrunken form. And here is the crunch, if this will be the scenario,then why will artists go to record cos? They will sign on all their rights to management cos or large tour promoters, that makes sense.

We (the record business) grew fat on two artificial rounds of growth, the conversion from vinyl to Cassette and from cassette to CD. And we thought this was the natural order of things!Of course it helped to have an industry run by failed musicians and lawyers!!