Microsoft selling 50 boxed CD sets (as MP3) at $1.99/ea., via “Music Deals” app

So, it really does look like Microsoft is getting more competitive these days.

First they open source C# and now, via their "Music Deals" app for Windows 8 devices, they're selling 50 boxed CD sets -- in 320kbps MP3 format -- for $1.99 each (DRM-free and downloadable; the music can also be streamed after you buy it).

The boxed sets include: The Complete Led Zeppelin box, "The Smiths Complete" box, The Complete Doors Studio Album box, The Grateful Dead Complete Studio album box, the Muddy Waters Chess box, a Nirvana box, "Once in a Lifetime: Talking Heads" box, a Frank Sinatra box, a Tony Bennett box, "Joe's Garage Acts I, II and III" by Frank Zappa, a few R.E.M boxes, a KISS box, a John Coltrane box, a 5 album Radiohead box, Neil Young's "Decade" box, , "Message in a Bottle: The Complete Recordings" by The Police. And more.

You get the idea. 50 boxes. $1.99 each.

Good for this week only -- each Tuesday the deals change, with 2 new categories of $1.99 albums (with 50 per category) and a new 99 cent album.

(The other category this week is "Workout Jams" -- also some good stuff in there, by Fun., Ne-yo, Skrillex, Queen, Parliament, Daft Punk, Deadmaus, Tina Turner, Prince, Jay-Z, etc.

The 99 cent album is a new hip hop album titled, "SHADYXV", a double album of hip hop by Eminem and artists on the record label he started).