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November 21, 2005
mp3, iTunes, and aaCPlus
I've been thinking about what's on my Hanukah wish-list lately, which made me itchy to read techy news on mp3 players (and laptops, but that's just fantasy reading).
Turns out Apple is just as evil as Microsoft. Why's that? Because anything you buy at iTunes can only be played via iTunes or an iPod. It means you don't completely own the music you buy through iTunes. Frankly, I don't understand buying songs online but then I don't own an mp3 player. I do appreciate Rhapsody, Real Network's digital music service, but currently think I should save the money that I would pay for access.
Sony created an even more evil "digital management system," but discontinued it when its ability to be a sys admin on unsuspecting hard drives was used by hackers.
Microsoft, on the other hand, seems to want to make its digital rights management tool useful with most audio players. Nevertheless, why should they be allowed to see these "tools"? All they do is deny the owner of the music easy access to playing it.
aaCPlus is the new audio file format approved for general use by the folks that standardized mp3. It creates a higher quality sound with lower bandwith use than mp3. Basically, the files are smaller but sound better than mp3s. In the future, portable players will be able to play both formats (making me wonder if I should suck it up and continue to use a cd player a lil longer)...
Related articles / links:
"Digital Rights Mismanagement: How Apple, Microsoft, and Sony cash in on piracy prevention." by Adam L. Penenberg in Slate
"You Can't Be Too Thin: The skinny new audio format that will replace MP3s—and revolutionize Internet radio." by Paul Boutin in Slate
"The Apple Polishers: Explaining the press corps' crush on Steve Jobs and company." By Jack Shafer
Funny Mock Ad for iProduct at a boy and his computer
Posted by cj at November 21, 2005 07:24 AM