The unusual case of a lunchtime post...

[andrewducker]

This article amply demonstrates why I will never, ever buy DRMed music.  Microsoft is switching its authentication servers off.  Which means that any music you bought from them is now stuck on the PCs they're authenticated on.  Which means that when those machines die you lose that music.

Frankly, Fuck That.

In conversation with cairmen yesterday, similar ideological reasons for my dislike of the iPhone came up.  It's shiny, and it's neat to play with, but frankly it's not so much nicer than other phones that I'm willing to put up with Apple's ridiculous licensing agreements.  I have a Nokia phone.  Anyone can write software for it.  I can install anything I damn well please.  I shall be continuing to support manufacturers who produce hardware like this.

Comments

[makyo.livejournal.com]

I got a multi-region DVD player for exactly this reason - I don't like big companies trying to tell me what I should do with the things they've sold me. As it happens, I don't think I've ever got around to watching a non-region-2 DVD on it, but I demand the right to be able to do so.

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

It's rather tragic, in that people signing up for Microsoft DRM music were going out on a limb to embrace that particular vision of future music sales. Or they were just thick and didn't realise. Either way, Microsoft will screw loyal and honest customers - a dying breed to start with.

[johnbobshaun.livejournal.com]

I've never owned an iPod of any description and probably never will. I can't *stand* iTunes.

[e-halmac.livejournal.com]

Quite. It's one of the reasons I don't use Mac products - they like it the way they like it, and not the way anyone else might. I'm waiting with baited breath for the Nokia version of the iPhone to come out - I'd get that for sure.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Also it is a good reason why trusting Microsoft is a bad idea.

I believe when Google closed the DRMed video store they had they gave everyone the option of having their money returned to them, which seems like a very reasonable way of shutting down any DRMed lock in venture.

I don't think Google are angels btw - I just think they handled it in a much better way, a way no one would ever expect Microsoft to handle things.

The iPhone SDK thing is odd. I don't really understand why Apple are not completely opening it up - I can only suspect that it is related to the phone networks somehow. It may be that their contract forbids the development of VOIP apps for it. They have stated that they will not approve any VOIP apps for the iPhone software store.

[johanna-alice.livejournal.com]

I don't have the rights issue thing, as I can remove Apples DRM...

My phone is a Symbian Smartphone though. For exactly the same reasons as you. (Though I wish they had a version of OPL available)

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

To me this is the whole thing of downloading illegally gives you a better - i.e less encumbered, more easily used - product than attempting to play by the rules or, more specifically, their rules.

Can we say shooting yourself in the foot?