Posted by RichardK on 06/12/06 08:01

NRen2k5 wrote:
> RichardK wrote:
>
>> NRen2k5 wrote:
>> =
>>
>>> Your idiocy is noted - you can't play Napster tracks on an iPod and
>>> that was my point. I guess you completely missed the "refuted,
>>> goodnight".
>>
>>
>> The reason you can't play Napster is that they use a protection scheme
>> that isn't supported by 70% of shipped personal digital music devices.
>
>
> And there is no reason for that other than that Apple doesn't want
> anything cutting into iTMS profits even one bit.

Napster could run without protection.

>> The reason that the 70% of devices are iPods is partly that Napster's
>> terms are absolutely dreadful and restrictive compared to iTMS.
>
> No.

Yes. First, they use WMA. That means that without flip4Mac installed, I
can't play their stuff on my Mac. iTunes is available for Windows and
Mac. Secondly they only have 2 million songs; iTMS has over 3 million.

Napster supports 3 computers. iTMS supports 5, IIRC.
Napster supports 5 burns of a playlist. iTMS supports 7.

And the model where you actually own the songs, rather than subscribe,
costs just the same.

Subscription might let you download a lot of stuff, but once you've got
all the music you want...

"If you cancel your Membership, the music you downloaded from Napster
will no longer be playable at the end of your current billing period.
You can still use Napster Light to play and organise all of the music
you own without a membership fee. Access Napster Light with the same
user name and password. With Napster Light, you can also sample
30-second clips and buy tracks for 79p and albums from £7.95. If you
decide to resume your Napster Membership, your Napster music library
will be restored and your downloaded music will be playable again."

You have to buy it all over again if you want to cancel your membership.

Screw that.

>> It's Apple's technology.
>
>
> Which part of it do you purport to belong to Apple?? The FairPlay DRM
> which was made by Veridisc, or the AAC content which was made by MPEG?
> Or maybe iTunes, which was made by Casady & Greene?

None of that; the bringing together of ALL of that, plus the iPod ;)

>> No-one is forced to buy it. If their combination is better and more
>> appealing than Microsoft and some other firm's creations, then well
>> done Apple.
>
>
> Once you buy an iPod, your only online music store is iTMS. This is,
> what, the twentyfifth time I've had to repeat this?

And the twentyfifth time you've been wrong, too.

http://www.emusic.com/ (with thanks to the guy that pointed me at that).

>> (T'other day, I priced up a Creative HD based player; it's marginally
>> more expensive on Amazon than the iPod. Also, the battery life for WMA
>> is HALF that of MP3 - so people, WMA files are bad for the
>> environment. Less battery life=more need to recharge, replace cells or
>> whatever).
>
>
> You only checked Amazon? You only compared one Creative player?
>
> Let me guess. It was the Zen Vision.

No, I didn't only check Amazon. But have you actually looked at the
prices of these devices lately? The Zen Touch 20Gb is £199. THe Toshiba
thing is £269 for a 40Gb - Apple's device is £269 for 60Gb in most places.

Richard

--
RichardK - http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/ - retro, music, cars.
2006 Mazda RX8, 1992 Sera Phase III -= Do Not Tempt With New Cars =-
"If the thought of something makes me giggle for more than 15 seconds I
am to assume I am not allowed to do it". * 64 is 128 for email *

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