Zune=DRM Roach Motel
nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu
...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
Unsurprisingly, Zune users also can't use their points-purchased music
with other devices from Creative or SanDisk which also use Microsoft's
software.
They also can't burn purchased music to CD with the same liberal use
rights that Apple negotiated with the labels and studios. Microsoft
has even shoehorned in a "piracy tax" into the Zune to pay off
Universal, which is a disappointing trend for advocates of fair use
rights in digital downloads.
This leaves the Zune as a roach motel for purchased music, because
Microsoft's DRM is designed to be impossibly difficult to remove.
Microsoft has recently followed Apple in offering some DRM-free
downloads, about a third of its library, and about half the number of
DRM-free songs in iTunes. Microsoft's efforts seem to be more of a
catch up, designed to check off feature lists rather than actually
deliver a good product with complete, honest, and fair services.
</Quote>
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
Roy Schestowitz
Microsoft and the Broken Window Theory of Economics
"In short form, a boy breaks a window and his father, the shop keeper, then has
to have it replaced. It is a given to the people looking on the scene that
this is good becuase it keeps the glazier employed in making windows."
http://pcburn.com/article.php?sid=1788
"So far there's no business case for digital preservation--in fact, for
software makers like Microsoft, planned obsolescence is the plan.
|
"The reality is that it's in companies' interest that software should become
obsolete and that you should have to buy every upgrade," Rose says. We could
be on the cusp of a turning point, though, in the way businesses and their
customers think about digital preservation. "Things will start to change when
people start losing all of their personal photos," Rose said."
/s/photos/music/
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | http://debian.org
http://Schestowitz.com | Free as in Free Beer | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Cpu(s): 25.3%us, 4.0%sy, 1.0%ni, 65.3%id, 4.0%wa, 0.2%hi, 0.2%si, 0.0%st
http://iuron.com - semantic engine to gather information
flatfish
<nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
><Quote>
>...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
Funny title!
I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
but it doesn't surprise me.
BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
Ben Miller-Jacobson
link.
--
"Doomed to waving around penguins with bells attached."
Random Flatfish Nym:
Kurt Janker
Kier
The Times just voted the Archos Wifi a better media player than the iPod.
--
Kier
Kier
> flatfish wrote:
>> On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:36:08 -0800 (PST), "nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu"
>> <nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> <Quote>
>>> ...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>>> between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>>> users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>>> can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>>
>>> http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
>>
>> Funny title!
>> I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
>> but it doesn't surprise me.
>>
>> BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
>>
>> http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
> Thanks. I hate Crapple almost as much as I hate M$, so I appreciate the
> link.
Why? The iPod is a very good piece of kit.
--
Kier
Peter Köhlmann
It is. But it shares the old apple problem: It is too expensive compared to
other, similar devices.
It is not as bad as with computers, where apple laptops for example cost
about 2 1/2 times the money a similar laptop from other companies costs
(with basically same capabilities).
But still the price for iPods is inflated. Besides: Some of the new iPods
have crappy sound capabilities. They simply don't sound as good as others.
One better compares how good the sound is before buying
--
Warning: 10 days have passed since your last Windows reinstall.
Kier
> Kier wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:33:14 -0500, Ben Miller-Jacobson wrote:
>>
>>> flatfish wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:36:08 -0800 (PST), "nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu"
>>>> <nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> <Quote>
>>>>> ...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>>>>> between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>>>>> users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>>>>> can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>>>>
>>>>>
> http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
>>>>
>>>> Funny title!
>>>> I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
>>>> but it doesn't surprise me.
>>>>
>>>> BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
>>> Thanks. I hate Crapple almost as much as I hate M$, so I appreciate the
>>> link.
>>
>> Why? The iPod is a very good piece of kit.
>>
>
> It is. But it shares the old apple problem: It is too expensive compared to
> other, similar devices.
True, they do tend to be overly pricey, though they are beautifully
designed, I have to say. Not merely in looks but the way they work. Given
that they sell well, the price really ought to drop more than it has.
I've got an Archos 504, an excellent player with a very large screen, but
it's not a pretty thing, and a bit of a brick. But it had more going for
it than a Pod for my purposes (including 80 gigs of storage)
> It is not as bad as with computers, where apple laptops for example cost
> about 2 1/2 times the money a similar laptop from other companies costs
> (with basically same capabilities).
>
> But still the price for iPods is inflated. Besides: Some of the new iPods
> have crappy sound capabilities. They simply don't sound as good as others.
> One better compares how good the sound is before buying
Given the state of my hearing these days, it would be a moot point I think :-)
--
Kier
flatfish
There are a lot of players better than the iPod. Sandisk makes some,
Archos as well and others.
The thing is, NOBODY has more support than the iPod and it's not even
close.
One example is integrating into a car audio system.
The little gadgets needed to do so are easily found for iPods, and not
so easily for others. The head units are set up to control iPods but
not others etc.
Personally, I think the iPod is nice but overpriced and I don't like
being tied to iTunes even though there are alternatives, iTunes works
best with it.
Anyone who has used iTunes under Windows knows it's a horrid, bloated
application.
I bought a Creative Zen Vision M and at the time it was 30GB, had a
better screen, did more and cost less than the iPod.
It was a $249.00 impulse buy.
It sucks.
I should have known that Creative, who can't make a decent audio card
for professional use, would fsck up on this one as well.
It has firmware bugs that cause freezing and they refuse to fix it.
Bottom line, carry a paper clip.
Ben Miller-Jacobson
are as much a fashion accessory as anything, allowing crapple to charge
more than they are worth, just for the associated brand name. There are
better things for the price.
Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
--
"Doomed to waving around penguins with bells attached."
Random Flatfish Nym:
L Didio
Hadron
> Kier wrote:
>> On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:33:14 -0500, Ben Miller-Jacobson wrote:
>>
>>> flatfish wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:36:08 -0800 (PST), "nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu"
>>>> <nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> <Quote>
>>>>> ...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>>>>> between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>>>>> users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>>>>> can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>>>>> http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
>>>> Funny title!
>>>> I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
>>>> but it doesn't surprise me.
>>>>
>>>> BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
>>> Thanks. I hate Crapple almost as much as I hate M$, so I appreciate
>>> the link.
>>
>> Why? The iPod is a very good piece of kit.
>>
> Well, it beats the zune hands down, but one thing I dislike is how
> they are as much a fashion accessory as anything, allowing crapple to
> charge more than they are worth, just for the associated brand
> name. There are better things for the price.
Sp basically, (again giving away who you really are *wink*), what you
are saying is that you do not want to pay top dollar for the "in
thing". Great. Don't. I hope your stone washed jeans and your "german"
mullet haircut get you to where you want to be,
Hint : things that are "cool" and "popular" cost more. Its like buying a
house. I hate the way that a house over looking the atlantic costs more
than the same house in some shit hole in the bronx. So is life.
>
> Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
> bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
Why do you dislike Os X?
Ben Miller-Jacobson
Honestly, I am no one's nym.
> are saying is that you do not want to pay top dollar for the "in
> thing". Great. Don't. I hope your stone washed jeans and your "german"
> mullet haircut get you to where you want to be,
In all honesty, I think that what is "cool" or "popular" is very often
stupid and best judged using more objective criteria.
> Hint : things that are "cool" and "popular" cost more. Its like buying a
> house. I hate the way that a house over looking the atlantic costs more
> than the same house in some shit hole in the bronx. So is life.
It's more like buying jenes: think of those morons who pay extra money
for designer jenes with holes in the knees as a fashion statement. They
are paying more and getting less.
>> Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
>> bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
>
> Why do you dislike Os X?
I find the interface ugly and difficult to use, first of all. Many of
the decisions made in it's design are quite odd and, in my opinion, bad.
I find it basically unusable. For example, maximize doesn't work, there
is only one desktop by default, the clock sucks, close doesn't do what I
expect, etc.
It might be intuitive to some one used to it, but I hate it.
--
"Doomed to waving around penguins with bells attached."
Random Flatfish Nym:
Kristen
Kier
> Kier wrote:
>> On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:33:14 -0500, Ben Miller-Jacobson wrote:
>>
>>> flatfish wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:36:08 -0800 (PST), "nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu"
>>>> <nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> <Quote>
>>>>> ...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>>>>> between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>>>>> users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>>>>> can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>>>>> http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
>>>> Funny title!
>>>> I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
>>>> but it doesn't surprise me.
>>>>
>>>> BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
>>> Thanks. I hate Crapple almost as much as I hate M$, so I appreciate the
>>> link.
>>
>> Why? The iPod is a very good piece of kit.
>>
> Well, it beats the zune hands down, but one thing I dislike is how they
> are as much a fashion accessory as anything, allowing crapple to charge
> more than they are worth, just for the associated brand name. There are
> better things for the price.
Such is modern society :-) But I don't think you'll find one that is truly
a better design. They are not only beautiful but very cleverly thought
out. They're selling a look and lifestyle, which is okay, so long as the
products live up to the hype, which on the whole the iPods at least seem
to do. I'm less impressed with the iPhone, though.
>
> Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
> bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
I've not much experience of OS X. My brother has MacMini for his media
centre/plasma telly, and he brought it over once. I liked it better than
Windows, (look and feel particularly nice) but it didn't tempt me to give
up Linux. As an alternative to Linux, for occasional use, mostly for
straight-forward and simple multimedia, I might consider one for myself,
but it's not a top priority. I'm leaning towards one of those EeePC's,
myself.
--
Kier
Kier
Ignore him, he's just being an an arsehole as usual.
>
>> are saying is that you do not want to pay top dollar for the "in
>> thing". Great. Don't. I hope your stone washed jeans and your "german"
>> mullet haircut get you to where you want to be,
>
> In all honesty, I think that what is "cool" or "popular" is very often
> stupid and best judged using more objective criteria.
>
>> Hint : things that are "cool" and "popular" cost more. Its like buying a
>> house. I hate the way that a house over looking the atlantic costs more
>> than the same house in some shit hole in the bronx. So is life.
>
> It's more like buying jenes: think of those morons who pay extra money
> for designer jenes with holes in the knees as a fashion statement. They
> are paying more and getting less.
It's funny you should say that. I was talking to a lad at work a few days
ago, who was wearing ripped jeans. I commented that they must be damned
draghty at times, and asked if he'd done the rips himself. He hadn't -
they came that way, and cost him fifty-odd quid. I said he'd be smarter to
buy cheaper jeans and rip them to his own design. (BTW, he wasn't what I
would term a moron, just a typical teenager of his era).
>
>>> Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
>>> bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
>>
>> Why do you dislike Os X?
> I find the interface ugly and difficult to use, first of all. Many of
> the decisions made in it's design are quite odd and, in my opinion, bad.
The one-button mouse thing threw me totally at first, though it's not a
great hardship to place that with a standard mouse. The only thing is, the
interface is designed with the single-button in mind.
> I find it basically unusable. For example, maximize doesn't work, there
> is only one desktop by default, the clock sucks, close doesn't do what I
> expect, etc.
Yes, that caught me out, too.
>
> It might be intuitive to some one used to it, but I hate it.
I certainly missed the mutiple desktops of Linux. I don if I have to use
Windows at any time, it just seems so restrictive not to have them once
you've used them.
--
Kier
Hadron
> I find the interface ugly and difficult to use, first of all. Many of
That's a first.
Peter Köhlmann
Nope, it isn't.
I have stated on several occasions that I don't like the OSX interface at
all. Several design decisions are just plain stupid, and they affect very
much the useability of the OS
And yes, the standard "design" of OSX is just plain ugly. Others may find
it "stylish", I think it is hideously ugly.
Luckily it has not to stay that way, at least not all of it
--
Modern man is the missing link between apes and human beings.
The Ghost In The Machine
<bmiller...@gmail.com>
wrote
on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:17:30 -0500
<47561812$0$8679$4c36...@roadrunner.com>:
> Kier wrote:
>> On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:33:14 -0500, Ben Miller-Jacobson wrote:
>>
>>> flatfish wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:36:08 -0800 (PST), "nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu"
>>>> <nes...@wigner.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> <Quote>
>>>>> ...Microsoft intentionally and artificially broke compatibility
>>>>> between its existing PlaysForSure DRM and the new Zune DRM. That means
>>>>> users of existing music players with software designed by Microsoft
>>>>> can't use the music they've already bought with the Zune.
>>>>> http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/03/winter-2007-buyers-guide-microsoft-zune-8-vs-ipod-nano/
>>>> Funny title!
>>>> I can't say about the rest because this is the first I've heard of it,
>>>> but it doesn't surprise me.
>>>>
>>>> BTW here is a decent site for you anti iPod folks:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.anythingbutipod.com/
>>> Thanks. I hate Crapple almost as much as I hate M$, so I appreciate the
>>> link.
>>
>> Why? The iPod is a very good piece of kit.
>>
> Well, it beats the zune hands down,
Actually, it doesn't, which surprised *me* (I don't own either),
though it probably is because the Zune80 was a redesign:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-11399_7-324-101.html
It's a very very slim victory, though, and I don't trust
Microsoft. Apple might be crap but AFAICT they make
a generally honest try at it (though I do wonder about
that iPhone, from a hardware standpoint; the interface
is excellent but the actual radio hardware and the AT&T
lock-in deal apparently sucks).
> but one thing I dislike is how they
> are as much a fashion accessory as anything, allowing crapple to charge
> more than they are worth, just for the associated brand name. There are
> better things for the price.
In an ideal world, one would be able to use the iPhone
or other such device as a universal (and bog standard)
remote, controlling a Sayshell [*] in the ear. Of course,
the universal remote can also be used as a tracking signal
for various purposes; one can go nefarious (government)
or annoying (advertising/commercial). The preponderance
of WiFi will make the current crop of viruses look like
a intentionally well-tended garden, if we're not very
very careful.
>
> Mostly, though, it is just my utter loathing for OS X (imho almost as
> bad as Vi$ta) spilling over into a dislike for crapple in general.
>
Can't say; haven't used it. Admittedly, they may be under
pressures similar to Microsoft: "sell sell sell". The
technical integrity might get slightly lost.
[*] Ray Bradbury, _Fahrenheit 451_. There are of course
a number of devices in this area, from the Bluetooth
devices attached to phones to headphones with AM/FM
receiver capability; it would not take too much
imagination to equip them with WiFi as well, and there
are certainly some out there already.
Several devices we probably won't see is described by
Isaac Asimov in various of his works; the clearest
one is arguably in _The Stars, Like Dust_ and is
described as requiring mental input/output, and has
"no need for more specific identification". Others
might probably find less obscure works with similar
devices.
--
#191, ewi...@earthlink.net
Useless C/C++ Programming Idea #12398234:
void f(char *p) {char *q = strdup(p); strcpy(p,q);}
--
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