Sirius or XM Radio?

I've been refraining from buying a satellite radio for a few years now. Three years ago I was on the verge of getting one, but instead got an iPod. My decision was based on the ability I had to control the music I wanted to hear. But things have changed, and I'm toying with this idea again. My Acura RL came equipped with XM radio so when I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles a few months ago, I listened to XM throughout the whole trip. It sure made time on the road a whole lot more enjoyable. But I'm not always in my car, and I'm tired of my music collection. I want a satellite radio that introduces me to new bands, talk shows and nostalgic tunes (like stuff from the 80s) without loading them on my MP3 player.

So now my question is XM or Sirius? I have XM in my car and have enjoyed it first hand, so I'd like to consider Sirius for my home/office. But so my far I've been less-than-impressed by Sirius' hardware. So I sat down to do a side by side comparison of both services. The hardware comparison will come later.

Ok Sirius, Show Me What You're Working With!

At first glance, I like their website. It is very easy to navigate and it immediately answered my questions as opposed to XM Radio's website. One question I had was: How does it compare to XM? They have a nice compare page that lists all their exclusive content. I'd like to listen to the Eminem channel, Howard Stern, NPR, and Cosmo Radio (as in Cosmopolitan Magazine). Price is comparable to XM radio costing only $12.95/month, and includes a free online subscription. There is a 3-day pass available that requires no credit card. Signing up took me about two minutes, and I was checking out the limited programming options available. No Slim Shady or Howard Stern shows, but there was a show called Wiseguy, Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Jay Thomas Show, and Sirius Out Q (Gay and Lesbian Entertainment). The music channels were playing everything from Rock, Pop, Latin, Jazz and Hip Hop. Besides providing equipment for car, home and on-the-go use, Sirius also has an online version with 65 channels that subscribers can listen to for free, and a 20-channel Sprint option for Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia phones. I quickly scanned their FAQs in case I had forgotten a question like does it work with both Mac and PC, and it does. All in all the company offers 125 channels, has good all-around programming and has surpassed 4 million subscribers as of March 2006 which should count for something.

XM's Down With The Sickness (in a good way)

Going back to the XM radio site a second time, I was able to find their compare page, and it's looking good. They mention their competition (unlike Sirius who labels the competition as Brand X) and actually gives you a better overview. XM Radio claims to have over 6 million subscribers and a 170 digital channels. A $12.95 monthly subscription fee gives you access to premium content such as star-powered programs by Oprah & Friends, Ellen, Snoop Dog, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Ludacris' Open Mic. You also get a free subscription to XM Radio Online that would normally cost $7.99/mo. I signed up for their online trial to check out the software online, and was amazed by the elaborate set-up. I sampled a few songs from their extensive selection and was pleased by the streaming quality. The software has three tabs: XM channels, What's On (shows you what's playing in each channel), and My Presets making it easy to navigate. It works well on PC and Mac, but you will need a fast Broadband connection.

I think for now I will continue sampling their online trials, which may be a better option for me right now. I already have an XM Radio subscription on my car, so it was nice to know that I also get a free online subscription. I will write more about satellite radios so stay tuned. In the mean time, do let me know which brand you choose. It would be nice to hear you're side of the story.