Another IPod question

[bonj2]

erm, no.

You buy roof bars for your VW and then expect them to work on your BMW?
You buy 35mm film and then expect it to work in your DSLR?

no, it would be like buying thule roof bars, they don't fit, because they're made deliberately not to fit, and then them saying "ah, but look in the smallprint - it says in convoluted language that they only work on a nissan figaro, but we're not going to give you your money back, because you may have already benefitted from them."

 

[Carwash]

yes but the one i've got (my phone) isn't one of them.
and I don't want to restrict my choice of mp3 player to one that can play things that aren't actually mp3s.

Fair enough then, MP3 it is.

It's down to apple's greediness that i've spent £0.79 on something i can't now use

Please explain how you feel you've been deceived. As far as I can tell, you bought a piece of music from an online store known for it's restrictive DRM, and now you're miffed because it has restrictive DRM. How is that anyone's fault but your own?

i call that conning, and it's down to apple's greediness

It has nothing to do with Apple's greediness. It has everything to do with you not paying attention to what you were buying.

if they hadn't been so tight and given me what's rightfully mine which I've paid for

Again, as far as I can tell, they've given you exactly what you paid for. The problem is that you failed to check what that was, and assumed it to be something else instead.

no it doesn't. it says in napster's user guide: "Each track you download from napster also downloads with a license". So, you are blatantly squarely wrong.
If you think you can download mp3s straight off napster, tell me how to do it then - is it just certain selected tracks (if so tell me what), or is it in your imagination - as that is what napster USED to be like?

My mistake there - I read elsewhere that Napster offered DRM-free MP3s, but it turns out that this is currently only available in the US. Quoth the napster website:

"At this time the purchase of MP3s is only available in the Napster U.S. service. We are continually expanding our service offerings and hope that we will be able to sell MP3s through Napster UK in the future. "

Another option would be to use another service that does offer pure MP3 downloads, like Amazon.

 

[kyuss]

Bonj, your beef shouldn't be with Apple, it should be with the record companies. Apple have realised for a long time that DRM kills sales which is why most tracks are now DRM-free iTunes Plus wherever possible. You can convert them to MP3 if you like with any basic music player including iTunes. Unfortunately some record companies won't supply them with music unless there is an agreement that it will be protected with DRM. That's hardly Apple's fault and it's certainly not done through greed.

 

[marinyork]

I think bonj's comments pretty much sum up what sucks about some parts of the on-line music industry. The idea that apple or some of the others aren't greedy is a ridiculous one to me and this DRM crap and allied forms is a growth industry elsewhere like in films and tv content.

 

[Jaded]

no, it would be like buying thule roof bars, they don't fit, because they're made deliberately not to fit, and then them saying "ah, but look in the smallprint - it says in convoluted language that they only work on a nissan figaro, but we're not going to give you your money back, because you may have already benefitted from them."

Silly example!

With Thule roof bars you can buy different fittings to fit a different vehicle. I've done it several times. However I didn't post on a forum saying that Thule were greedy. I knew what I had bought!

 

[bonj2]

Fair enough then, MP3 it is.



Please explain how you feel you've been deceived. As far as I can tell, you bought a piece of music from an online store known for it's restrictive DRM, and now you're miffed because it has restrictive DRM. How is that anyone's fault but your own?

oh, so I should know that they're restrictive, should I?
When i complain, they should say "well you should know what our reputation's like!"

It has nothing to do with Apple's greediness. It has everything to do with you not paying attention to what you were buying.

it doesn't exactly say it in big letters. In fact, i'm not sure it actually says it at all anywhere particularly accessible. Where should I have noticed this restriction warning then, if you think it's clear?

Again, as far as I can tell, they've given you exactly what you paid for. The problem is that you failed to check what that was, and assumed it to be something else instead.



My mistake there - I read elsewhere that Napster offered DRM-free MP3s, but it turns out that this is currently only available in the US. Quoth the napster website:

"At this time the purchase of MP3s is only available in the Napster U.S. service. We are continually expanding our service offerings and hope that we will be able to sell MP3s through Napster UK in the future. "

Another option would be to use another service that does offer pure MP3 downloads, like Amazon.

does it? i'll check it out.

Bonj, your beef shouldn't be with Apple, it should be with the record companies. Apple have realised for a long time that DRM kills sales which is why most tracks are now DRM-free iTunes Plus wherever possible. You can convert them to MP3 if you like with any basic music player including iTunes. Unfortunately some record companies won't supply them with music unless there is an agreement that it will be protected with DRM. That's hardly Apple's fault and it's certainly not done through greed.

hmmm...don't buy it.

I think bonj's comments pretty much sum up what sucks about some parts of the on-line music industry. The idea that apple or some of the others aren't greedy is a ridiculous one to me and this DRM crap and allied forms is a growth industry elsewhere like in films and tv content.

yep, they're all in on it. If they felt that strongly about it, they could just stick to selling macs and ipods. But no, they want their nice fat slice of the paid-for music downloads market. They'll do whatever it takes to get their snout in the trough, and if they can make it look like they're the good guy, then all the better for them, but that doesn't mean they are.

Silly example!

With Thule roof bars you can buy different fittings to fit a different vehicle. I've done it several times. However I didn't post on a forum saying that Thule were greedy. I knew what I had bought!

it'd be like. hypothetical situation used as analogy.

 

[Carwash]

The idea that apple or some of the others aren't greedy is a ridiculous one to me

I never said that Apple aren't greedy - just that their greed was not the cause of bonj's problems.

and this DRM crap and allied forms is a growth industry elsewhere like in films and tv content.

Agreed. DRM is flawed, unpopular and ineffective, and many companies (including Apple) are slowly realising this. The best way to prevent further restrictive DRM in the future is to not buy DRM encumbered stuff. It's not rocket surgery.

 

[bonj2]

Another option would be to use another service that does offer pure MP3 downloads, like Amazon.

checked it out. US only.

 

[Carwash]

does it? i'll check it out.

shoot! I'll look right plonker if that's only available in the States as well!

edit: Beat me to it. Curses!

 

[bonj2]

i've still got some credit on that mp3fiesta thing that turns out to be ukranian, so i might aswell use that up first. That definitely is dodgy, as some of those tracks are wmas that they've obviously downloaded off napster themselves, 'cos the converter refuses to convert them as it can't acquire DRM for the conversion process ! (which it can for the ones i've legally purchased off napster)

 

[Jaded]

it doesn't exactly say it in big letters. In fact, i'm not sure it actually says it at all anywhere particularly accessible. Where should I have noticed this restriction warning then, if you think it's clear?

Sounds like you manages to download iTunes and didn't get the license agreement when you launched the application for the first time.

That makes you unique.

 

[bonj2]

Sounds like you manages to download iTunes and didn't get the license agreement when you launched the application for the first time.

That makes you unique.

no but who ever reads license agreements?
they can almost EXPECT you not to read it, 'cos anything they actually want you to know, they put in normal size letters outside of the license agreement.

 

[Jaded]

no but who ever reads license agreements?
they can almost EXPECT you not to read it, 'cos anything they actually want you to know, they put in normal size letters outside of the license agreement.

So you did click 'Agree' to the terms.

So what, exactly, is your gripe?

 

[bonj2]

that they should make it more clear tha tyou can only play it on an ipod. It's a right con.

 

[Jaded]

that they should make it more clear tha tyou can only play it on an ipod. It's a right con.

You can play it on a computer. Doh.