“Unquestioning faith in all things [Apple and Steve Jobs] is a bad idea,” Brad King blogs for Technology Review. “The immediate response I get when I bring this up is always the same: Microsoft is soooo much worse. But I disagree. There is an army of programmers around the world who are developing applications, work-arounds, and other goodies that allow me to circumvent most of the aspects about Microsoft products I don’t like. The coolest thing that I do is record television with my PC, hack the DRM, burn it to a DVD, and take that program with me anywhere. But I know that’s doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg.”
“However, that’s not what really, really sticks in my craw. I reserve that (possibly irrational) anger for the iPod and iTunes, two music products that are so restrictive in their licensing and user set-ups that I have never been able to bring myself download the software to purchase music through iTunes or pony up the cash to by [sic] and [sic] iPod,” King writes. “It’s fairly well publicized that if you have music on your hard drive, music you’ve purchased a license to use through iTunes, and your computer crashes — you lose all of that music. It’s not a common occurrence for sure (at least, I hope it’s not), but when it does happen (as it nearly did to one editor here), your view of Apple suddenly, and dramatically, changes. (This doesn’t even begin to touch on the fact that the iPod was clearly not the first digital music player, and for my tastes, isn’t even the best player — but the Altoid-style packaging has certainly resonated with consumers, which is the bottom line.)”
“Every company has the right to set up the terms of use (within reason), and that is the road Apple chose to go down. The problem is they’ve been so compliant with the entertainment industry — foisting ridiculous digital rights management on consumers — that they may very well be setting the table for the music and movie industries to expand their restrictive licensing to entirely new platforms,” King writes. “Jobs has, by and large, become a proxy for the music and movie industries in the continual eroding of consumer rights in a digital age. And — for everyone who shells out their hard earned money for the latest and greatest gadget — you’ve all fallen for it. No, what really gets to me is that I think all of the Apple users around the planet know this already, but simply have stopped caring — and I can’t figure out why. However, I think I may have figured it out, thanks to one unnamed person who said to me: ‘Yes, but the iPod is so cute.'”
Full article here.
Steve Jobs on a popsicle stick! This guy thinks he’s Roger Clemens, but tosses more meatballs than Emeril Lagasse. Batter up!
• He disagrees that Microsoft is soooo much worse than Apple, but sure spends a lot of time searching through an army of programmers to find work-arounds and other “goodies” that allow him to circumvent Microsoft.
• He doesn’t own an iPod, has never downloaded iTunes, nor used the iTunes Music Store, but he’s an expert in how “restrictive” these things are for the user.
• He doesn’t own an iPod, but for his tastes, isn’t even the best player; presumably because the iPod was clearly not the first digital music player.
• He calls Steve Jobs a proxy for the entertainment industries, even though Jobs is currently fighting the music labels to keep prices reasonable.
• The “coolest” thing he does is record TV on his PC, hack the DRM, burn it to DVD and carry the program with him anywhere, so:
– He’s putting his own DRM onto things he records off TV onto his PC?
– Has he ever heard of, oh, we don’t know, how ’bout “iPodRip”.
• Because he’s never used an iPod, iTunes or the iTunes Music Store, he thinks the appeal is the “cute packaging.”
• Firmly established as an iPod+iTunes+iTunes Music Store expert, he accuses users of having been duped: “fallen for it” or “simply stopped caring.”
• In the end of course, like all good idiots who comment on things they don’t understand and haven’t even tried, he thinks he’s got it all figured out because one person told him the iPod is so cute.
Contact info:
Letters to the Editor:
Brad King, Web Producer and Senior Editor:
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What a wingnut…
Wow. My Mac lets me record tv and burn it to DVD – no bypassing of DRM required.
The title of this article should read: “Moron alert!” rather than “writer”.
At least it says “Writer” and not “Journalist” (which he clearly isn’t).
moron? yes!
i’ve never flown in space, either; but i don’t think that i could comment on anything relating to that activity until i did so.
i use ‘doze everyday at work; the difference to my three Macs is like night and day. ‘doze makes you do what it wants; my macs let me do what i want, how i want.
just like the currently running AOL ad, this clown seems to think that an army of programmers toiling to overcome the vast cesspool that is ‘doze is a good thing. just get a Mac, dammit, and be done with it!
‘doze is the distant past; Apple is the future. ‘doze is the darkest depths of computing; Apple is the very pinnacle. ‘doze will likely never get any better; Apple improves with each passing day.
my daddy always said: “it is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt”. our resident pinhead here should consider this prior to putting any future “thoughts” to paper.
He’s got some valid points. Jobs and Co. along with our US Congress are going to tighten up the DRM so much that you will never own anything, just the right to view or listen to it. Just watch.
I have to agree with MDN on this take.
Why someone who has never used a product feels qualified to rate or discuss it is probably more a comment on blogs and people having a false sense of self-importance than it is about the product being reviewed.
And when are people going to stop blaming Apple for the supposed restrictive DRM when it’s the only way the labels and record companies would allow legal digital downloading at all? I may be completely naive here, but I don’t think Apple decided to restrict use just for the fun of it. And how restrictive is it really? I mean, why is it necessary to be able to “do whatever I want with content I legally own” when Apple has said time and again, the DRM is meant to serve the broadest interests of MOST users. The implication is that the DRM will not appeal to everyone.
So, if you don’t like the offering from Apple, then move along and get what you want from someone else that offers a product or service that meets your needs, and stop complaining about the one that doesn’t meet your needs.
Sheesh!
Brad “don’t knock it until you try it” King
Don’t email this guy or visit his webpage. He’s trolling for hits, that is all.
Wow!
I should’ve started my own blog and make a fortune selling ads while writing crap about stuff I know nothing about. Sure beats running a circus!
MW: square. This guy sure tried hard to ram a square peg in his round (a)hole.
I don’t even know where to begin.
I hear people talk about the “restrictions” Apple has placed on their iPods and iTunes, and I just don’t see it.
Last I checked you can convert all your CD’s to mp3 (using FREE iTunes I might add) and stick them on any crappy player you want.
I grow tired of people like this. Apple comes to market with a killer product and a killer app, and what, they’re supposed to share it with their competitors? I hope SJ is laughing with giddy delight.
Dave
Yeah. The guy don’t know squat. I’ve never given Apple a single dime for entertainment content (I prolly would but they won’t take my perfectly good credit card .. heh). Nonetheless, I consider the iTunes app to be a great piece of software. And the iTunes music store is a fascinating read. I love that place.
The dude just has no taste nor even a clue. ahaha.
Unfortunately he will be excited to receive all of this blog traffic.
You can always find a sucker at MDN when somebody says somthing negative about Apple. MDN loves to point out all the negative things people say about Apple.
Why?
So all us suckers will add our 2cents and they get richer.
————
My take on it – well, the basic theme of the guy is right. The computer was supposed to be about freedom, Steve is taking it away. It´s either Steve´sway or the highway.
It will back fire in that soon everyone can do their own iTunes and it will give way to free content with advertising (just like MDN provides with its website).
So if this guys hard drive on windows crashes I guess that all of his windows media files are somehow saved?
If I lose my CD that I bought i don’t get it replaced for the record company so why should Apple give me my songs again? This guy is a fool…
Any computer user who doesn’t have a backup is a fool. If my hard drive crashes I just copy my music beck for my back-up with no problems.
You know I’ve never read this guys article, but I’m sure that the Technology Review site sucks because I’ve never been there. Good rational moron.
I agree with the first response to his article on his site (it took almost 15 hours for someone to finally comment) from “Doctor” who wrote:
“I didnt know a**holes could talk. Amazing! Ill have to contact my medical school about this omission – or perhaps youre just a freak? Thanks, you learn something new everyday, I guess!”
He is very high functioning for a retard. Most don’t have their own blogs.
That was the best thing that I could think of to say about him. Please don’t give his website any hits, though.
“It’s fairly well publicized that if you have music on your hard drive, music you’ve purchased a license to use through iTunes, and your computer crashes — you lose all of that music….”
Guess it doesn’t occur to morons to back up important data on their computers.
<sarcasm> I’ve never read anything written by Brad King, but i think people who go to his blog are dupes! </sarcasm>
Wow. Someone’s article seriously needs an editor.
I’ve never been able to sit and watch Jay Leno on de Tonight Show. I mean, I HEAR that he sucks and genuflects to each and every two-bit hack he has for a guest and that it’s a very humor-restrictive experience and that Stuttering John is a moron of de highest order, but I don’t think I should really judge Jay until I actually watch an entire . . .
Ooops, nevermind. Bad example.
I also agree with some of what he says. “Unquestioning faith in all things [Apple and Steve Jobs] is a bad idea,”, I certainly agree with, and I’d hope most people here would too. I also think that the DRM is bad, largely because the terms can and have been changed in the past for AFTER you’ve bought it.
It’s failrly obvious that itunes + iPod is the best/easiest solution currently available. iTMS is the best/easiest online shop too. Even though I choose not to use it due to the DRM, I have tried it for music I don’t care about losing and it’s a superb and painless experience. It really works well.
I would tend to discourage people from using iTMS right now, but only as far as explaining my point of view and highlighting perhaps issues that they have not thought about. If they want to continue using it for convenience after that (which they will probably do, as most people won’t actually care about the DRM), then it’s an informed choice and it’s none of my business.
I also think that Jobs/Apple did the right thing. If they didn’t do it, then downloads would be WMA, and the iPod would probably be dead by now. I don’t believe Jobs’ did it because he likes the DRM, but in order to get the record companies on side, the DRM was a necessary evil.
I think what annoys me most about the above is that if “your computer crashes – you lose all of that music”. That’s plainly not true. If the hard drive heads crash, destroying the data, then it’s gone. Unfortunately people are too stupid or lazy to have a backup. I don’t need a backup as such, as all my music is from CD. I have alot of stuff backed up, but the music folder is not part of that. If I had a lot of music on that hard drive, I’d want it backed up. This is like complaining that if your house burns down, you lose all the music from your CDs.
Over 98 % of my music on iTunes is DRM free. I’ve spent less that 30 bucks on iTMS songs and most of those were via gift certificates.
I don’t like the downloadable music that much because it locks me into a certain bit rate. That’s why I prefer to buy CDs and rip them how I like.
If you back up the songs, then there won’t be any chance of losing the stuff you bought on iTMS. If people are willing to take the risk not to back up, then they cannot blame Apple if they lose the files. I’ve had crashes before and not lost songs.
Triumph, yes- LENO DOES SUCK!
Good riddance in 2008!!