As with the Mac, “Apple is once again trying to create a totally controlled, self-contained environment–this time not for computers, but for music and entertainment. However, the market served with Apple’s iPod devices is far more digitally sophisticated than those early computer users. And today’s legions of tech-savvy music listeners are not likely to accept the company’s shackles for long,” Alan McGlade writes for CNET.
MacDailyNews Take: What shackles? Apple’s iTunes Store offers the world’s largest DRM-free music library. Apple’s iPod does not require use of the iTunes Music Store. The iTunes Music Store does not require use of an iPod. There is no lock-in; there are no shackles.
McGlade continues, “But even as consumers have purchased Apple’s devices in droves, they’ve come to realize that there’s more to digital music than what’s contained in the little white box. Other, arguably superior devices are now on the market; more are being introduced regularly. These players offer features that will become the sustaining elements of the digital entertainment revolution–they will be smart devices with IP connectivity and increased onboard storage.”
MacDailyNews Take: You mean like the iPod touch and the 160GB iPod classic, Davey? We won’t hold our breath waiting for someone other than Apple to eclipse the iPod touch.
McGlade continues, “The greatest objective for today’s music listeners–what they regard as their inalienable right–is absolute portability: music that can be accessed anywhere, at anytime. Today’s consumers want their music immediately available at home, in their car, at work, on their phones, at a party, or while working out at the gym, without the hassle of using multiple devices that are each tethered to different services.”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, Apple’s iTunes Store offers the world’s largest DRM-free music library. Apple’s iPod does not require use of the iTunes Music Store. The iTunes Music Store does not require use of an iPod. There is no lock-in; there are no tethers.
McGlade continues, “In such an open-source world of unfettered digital entertainment, the device is a means, not an end, to set listeners free. Why then, in the long term, would anyone accept the limitations of the proprietary lockout of the iPod and iTunes?”
MacDailyNews Take: Uh, Alan, because there is no “proprietary lockout” with iPod and iTunes.
Full article, Think Before You Click™, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Spark” for the heads up.]
You might be asking, as did we initially, “Why is Alan so dense?” Well, he’s not. As CNET indicates below this load of garbage, without explanation, Alan McGlade is president and CEO of MediaNet Digital. MediaNet Digital just so happens to sell content and technologies used to create music and video download and subscription services. MediaNet Digital’s partners list reads like a Who’s Who of Apple iTunes Store also-rans, including MTV Urge, the now-defunct Virgin Digital (you might want to update your partners list, Alan), and a bunch of other no-names. Business not going so well, Alan?
So, McGlade has a big fat agenda and CNET has no problem publishing it. Color us unsurprised on both counts.
Mc Glade needs some new air freshener. His article stinks.
FUD has the stink of desperation.
Were any of those “partners” services available to both Macs and Windows users? Doubtful at best — in which case he’s got a lot of damn gall to talk about “closed systems”…
I’ve not been reading their nonsense for quite some time. Not surprised with this though. They’ve been pushing crap like this for a long while. Waste of your precious time.
“”Apple is once again trying to create a totally controlled, self-contained environment–this time not for computers, but for music and entertainment. “
Trying? Um, dude, it’s been 6 years. Game over. This time, there’s no barrier like lengthy sotware development to stand in the way of this ‘whole-widget’ approach from working.
“”In such an open-source world of unfettered digital entertainment”
Does the writer actually believe this? How does someone come up with such nonsense? Trust me, if MS could tether every last person to a monthy subscription fee in perpetuity, they would. Apple, just beat them to the front door of the consumer and have all but wiped out any possibility that MS could ever shackle end users to their system.
do you guys have to meticulously pick apart every hit piece article in this manner?
do you actually think CNET reads this website?
this fool’s stated goal in his dream world of riches for his company is that every consumer in the world must subscribe for $7-12/month to rent their music…i.e. no more buying and owning your own music.
What do u mean iTunes Store has the largest DRM free music library? It has some DRM free music but most of its DRM free music is only via EMI — there is talk they are adding independent labels and trying to convince more to join the DRM free movement but there’s loads of music that is still DRM protected.
At present none of my music that I bought on iTunes Store with DRM originally is upgradeable to iTunes Plus meaning none of my music bought on iTunes is DRM free.
iTunes lets you upgrade music you already bought on iTunes with DRM to iTunes Plus tracks when iTunes Plus versions of those songs are made available. None of my music tracks can be upgraded to iTunes Plus so all of it has DRM.
The best way for me to defeat the DRM is to rip audio CDs of this music and then re-import it into iTunes, Windows Media Player or whatever player I prefer but the quality might deteriorate slightly and the tags have to be re-entered. So the metadata is not saved when making the audio CD. Metadata for re-imported tracks has to be manually re-entered.
Also video in iTunes still has DRM and so far there has not been any very good programs for removing Fair Play DRM from the video unlike music — so again users who shop from iTunes get locked into buying iPods permanently.
Anyone who buys from iTunes Music Store (iTMS) is likely to be locked into buying iPods, iPhones and Apple TVs etc indefinitely that is provided the content has DRM and most content on iTunes is protected with DRM.