🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <62iog21jdivuthheg3tvsltg4mm6kpsfnn@4ax.com>,
 Abe <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:

> OK, I've got it figured out why they are DRMing everything that 
> leaves the Zune. First, it's to prevent endless sharing of 
> copyrighted material (of course), and second, because if you want 
> endless sharing of your own personal material, copyrighted or not, 
> then Zune is simply not the device for this purpose.

They claim the Zune isn't supposed to compete with similar MP3-playing 
devices?

Don't get me wrong, I think there is a lot to like about the Zune, such 
as its large screen and the wide variety of compatible file types.

It just seems peculiar for a company like MS to market such a 
high-profile device-- with wireless networking-- and then practically 
assure its failure in the marketplace:

From <http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/17/006206&from=rss>:

"The BBC summarizes a Jupiter Research study, 'iPod fans shunning 
iTunes store.' From the article: '83% of iPod owners do not buy digital 
music regularly... only 5% of the music on an iPod will be bought from 
online music stores. The rest will be from CDs the owner of an MP3 
player already has or tracks they have downloaded from file-sharing 
sites... [T]he only salient characteristic shared by all owners of 
portable music players was that they were more likely to buy more music 
-- especially CDs.' This is despite years of iTunes promotion and 
apparent success. Given the outright failure of other music services, 
it is clear that users prefer DRM-free music, and are willing to pay 
for it and take the trouble to rip it."

I know that description fits me fairly well (I have purchased online 
maybe a dozen songs and a coupla-three videos of the 3500-or-so files 
populating my iPod hard drive. The rest are all from stores, 
garage-sales or eBay/Craigslist; all DRM-free). Note, I do not share 
music-- not because I think it is unethical, but because the RIAA have 
cowed me by suing children, elderly people and technophobes who 
wouldn't know ripping a CD from ripping a hole in their trouser knee.

Bottom line, people justifiably find DRM intrusive, offensive, and 
unacceptable. I can't wait to hear what customers have to say when they 
find out that their expensive new Zune actually installs destructive 
DRM on their own music without their express permission (and in an 
undeniably viral way-- by file alteration and self-replication).

I do frequently share home-made digital video and photos, both for 
personal and business reasons (it is great in my volunteer work for 
showing potential adopters available animals). I personally would never 
have bought the iPod if it limited such activity in any way.

> MS makes no assertions that Zune is the device of choice for such 
> use. 

Sort of like General Mill doesn't assert that their product should be 
eaten for breakfast?

> If you want endless copying of your own personal material, go another 
> route. It's that simple.

I already have. Got an iPod and a Dell Diddly (gathering dust. I may 
send it to my brother as a gift, but he probably wouldn't have any idea 
what to do with it).