Webb Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Can someone please explain to me why a "Podcast Enabled" iPod is any better than the portable MP3 player I have had for 2 years?I know iPods have a "feature" called DRM - what I would call a bug - that apparently gives its users a warm fuzzy feeling knowing they have only "legal" content and they play an Apple proprietary format that no one but Apple users care about, but what is so amazing about the ability to copy an MP3 file from a desktop computer to a portable MP3 player? Is it just the fact that older iPods couldn't do this?I bought my 30G device 2 years ago for $200. I just checked Newegg and TigerDirect and they are still about $200. Mine has a monochrome screen but that doesn't bother me because I usually black it out to save power and set it on random play. It will handle MP3 files and .m3u and .pls playlists. No WMA, OGG or ACC. OGG might be nice but I go out of my way to avoid WMA and ACC because of their DRM. I get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I can copy the files from my MP3 player to any computer anywhere.Apple thinks this is so amazing that they want to charge $300 for a 20G device. (To be fair, I think it also has a color LCD - whoopee!). Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epp_b Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Simple answer: they're cliche and people think they're cool. Whoopdedoo.I have the same viewpoint as you. iPods are an overrated rip-off. Not only do you overpay for the name and so-called "coolness factor", but -- like you said -- you are locked into using Apple's propretary DRM-supporting format through iTunes (I'm beginning to despise that stupid "i" in front of the names of every stinkin' product they make...). DRM essentially allows the music provider to remotely control your downloaded files. Yeah, real warm and fuzzy :thumbsdown:Besides, why do people need big brother breathing down their necks? Are they too irresponsible, incompetent, or ignorant to properly managed purchased music files themselves? Sheesh.I, too, conciously avoid DRM-supporting formats such as WMA, OGG, etc., and purposely boycot any service that gives me only DRM-supporting formats. I'll take the open-standard, non-proprietary MP3 format, thank-you very much. Too bad it's seemingly one of the few things we still have in existance that stand for everything computing is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Apples main strength is designing and delivering products that work consistently and are easy to use.They are definitely not the only game in town. Just the one that most people find, and find easy to use.Replace your existing MP3 player? If it works, keep using it.Don't like Apples AAC. Don't use iTMS. Lots of other music stores that provide MP3.Don't like / need iTunes? Use WMP, WinAmp, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I, too, conciously avoid DRM-supporting formats such as WMA, OGG, etc., and purposely boycot any service that gives me only DRM-supporting formats. I'll take the open-standard, non-proprietary MP3 format, thank-you very much. Too bad it's seemingly one of the few things we still have in existance that stand for everything computing is <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Umm, Ogg Vorbis is an Open Source codec while MP3 is a proprietary licensed codec. N.B. LAME is not an MP3 encoder. Every commerical software developer that uses MP3 encoding has paid a license fee to Fraunhofer IIS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epp_b Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Oh, sorry, my bad. I guess what I meant to say is that MP3 seems to be the best non-DRM-supporting format. DRM = evil. It may as well stand for Dispicible Remote Manipulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webb Posted July 1, 2005 Author Share Posted July 1, 2005 I didn't know that either. All I know is that Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder and that I have not personally paid anyone for a license to use MP3 encoding/decoding. The manufacturer of my MP3 player and MS (as a part of my operating system) may have paid someone for the license but that is invisible to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Subscribing to Podcasts does not require iTunes. The dedicated Podcatch clients are the power tools. They do things, such as supporting BitTorrent feeds, that iTunes and Apple may never do. For perceived legal and technical reasons. And, after the Grokster decision the legal reasons may be valid, but, any support of podcasting might be considered in violation. DIIK.eg. iTunes modifies the downloaded files ID3 tagging. This file is no longer a valid BT payload file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henderrob Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 WMP10 plays the podcasts on my home computer quite adequately. But then, again, its not very portable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Can someone please explain to me why a "Podcast Enabled" iPod is any better than the portable MP3 player I have had for 2 years?They aren't. Apple just thinks that their products are far superior than any other companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfProRM Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I happen to like my ipod... Are there better mp3 players on the market? Maybe, but I like the way the iPod works and I've never found an mp3 that it wouldn't play... Using iTunes to add songs isn't the greatest thing, but once the initial setup is done, it's easy to add/remove songs. Other than that, I never use iTunes... I have a winamp playlist at work that links to songs on my iPod and it works without a hitch.Maybe the iPod isn't "better" than other competitors, but it's at least as good. Besides... I'll trust Apple hardware over some of the other brands out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epp_b Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Apple has brainwashed you into accepting their evil DRM... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfProRM Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Apple has brainwashed you into accepting their evil DRM... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> DRM? How do you figure? I haven't downloaded anything from iTunes store... everything I've got on my ipod is either a CD I own, or mp3's I downloaded when the original Napster was up. None of this stuff is protected music. I don't use iTunes to create mp3's, and I don't use AAC or any of that other stuff. Just good, old-fashioned mp3 files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 If you use iTunes to rip CDs to mp3 format they are not DRM'ed either. I can play those mp3 files on multiple computers, in WinAMP, QuickTime, Real Player and Windows Media Player. I don't have an iPod myself but I like iTunes as a media player (I haven't bought anything from iTMS.) iTunes has a clean, uncluttered interface and pretty good playlist management. I'm using it just as often as I use WinAMP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epp_b Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 DRM? How do you figure? I haven't downloaded anything from iTunes store... everything I've got on my ipod is either a CD I own, or mp3's I downloaded when the original Napster was up. None of this stuff is protected music. I don't use iTunes to create mp3's, and I don't use AAC or any of that other stuff. Just good, old-fashioned mp3 files.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> What I meant to say is:"Apple has brainwashed you into accepting their evil DRM and proprietary system"A real MP3 player can connect to a computer as a stand-alone mass storage device accessible through Windows Explorer. iPods are wannabes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 A real MP3 player can connect to a computer as a stand-alone mass storage device accessible through Windows Explorer. iPods are wannabes harhar.gifWrong. iPods are can be's. My son uses an iPod Mini because he can also use it at school. Portable music player and portable hard drive. BTW, don't think that I am a publicist for Apple. My daughter just got an iFP799 for her birthday and I use a RCA Lyra 256MB. The iRiver was the best bet for upcoming travels and future needs, I use the RCA because it supports MP3Pro. Use whatever you want, the iPod is the right solution for some (a lot) of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkspike Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Conceptually I don't have a problem with DRM but it does seem that current DRM is way more restrictive than the rules governing fair use of a CD that you buy. Looks like the Supreme Court feels that the world is getting a touch over zealous about copyright as well; maybe the US will be smart enough to wind it back to 14 years with one extension?However, what troubles me about iTunes is that tracks that I have legally bought with iTunes then get disabled until I upgrade iTunes to Apple's latest standard. This is nothing more than tearing up a contract and re-writing it.My daughter has a Mini iPod (I have an iFP-799) but I do use iTunes and like its functionality but Apple should carefully consider the control freak approach.Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfProRM Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 What I meant to say is:"Apple has brainwashed you into accepting their evil DRM and proprietary system"A real MP3 player can connect to a computer as a stand-alone mass storage device accessible through Windows Explorer. iPods are wannabes <{POST_SNAPBACK}> as also stated by hkspike, the ipod does connect as a stand-alone device in windows explorer... I keep multiple things on my ipod besides music... I don't even have any ipod software or itunes installed at work, and yet I can listen to the mp3's on my ipod through my computer. Might want to check the facts before you argue a non-point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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