Apple Computers, Inc. is no more!

[Hill, Greg]

> That's the thing though - itunes *is* the iPod.  I cannot connect and
> sync my iPod to anything but iTunes.  Therefore, if I want to download
> a song that is DRM'd to work only on Microsoft products, I cannot play
> or sync it on my iPod.  If I want to play a song that is DRM'd to work
> with the iPod and iTunes, I cannot play or stream it to my Xbox.  If I
> want to sync a song that isn't DRM'd at all, I have to go outside of
> iTunes, have one extra app on my PC, and just one more thing to worry
> about freezing up my machine.

Well, false.  iTunes will accept non-DRM'ed mp3s and AAC files.  You
could join emusic if you're a downloading type, but I just buy CDs
myself.  And iTunes is the reason I didn't get an iPod anyway.  I use
MusicMatch; I prefer their interface.

> The Xbox is no longer just a gaming machine - it was doing what Apple
> TV was doing long before Apple, and it does full 1080i graphics as
> well.  Granted, you have to have a Windows Media Center or Vista
> machine to do it, but Xbox allows you to stream music, videos, and
> even TV signals, all in full 1080i HD to any TV connected to the Xbox.
>  I am unable to do this with iTunes-downloaded songs and movies though
> because of the DRM Apple imposes.  I *could* buy the iTV, but iTV just
> doesn't do everything my Xbox does.  So, at the moment, thanks to
> Microsoft, I am stuck with items that support the Microsoft DRM.
> This, therefore rules out using a Linux machine as a Media Center, as
> Xbox will not sync with Linux at the moment, so I have to run iTunes
> on the Windows machine and sync with that, which is very inconvenient.
>  Microsoft is very clever (yet, they're coming out with some pretty
> cool technology too - as much as we like to bash them, we have to
> admit).  Apple is too - they're both playing the same game right now
> though, unfortunately.  :-)

You're talking about Apple TV, not iPhone.  Apple TV is useless for my
needs, as well.  I was talking about the iPhone, which looks great.  It
sounds like your main problem is that you started with Xbox, which I
avoided for the same reason as iPod:  vendor lock-in.  When I build a
media center, it'll be my own custom-built thing so I can leave it open
to whatever I'd like.

> Now, I am willing to work around the DRM and use things like Fairplay
> to get things in the right format to stream to my Xbox, *if* the phone
> provided more space.  It is a really cool device!  However, I'm an
> all-in-one device type of guy that I'd rather have one device in my
> pocket at a time so I'll just wait for now and see who comes out on
> top.

Wait, now you're back to the phone working with the Xbox.  I still don't
see the appeal there.  Anyway, I'm more of an all-in-two kind of guy.  I
want my mp3 player and phone/pda separate.  For one, they'll never make
one that does both well enough for my liking.  I waited for the 160GB
mp3 player before getting one, although 80GB would have probably
sufficed for a few years.  As for DRM, I am not willing to work around
DRM myself; I'm vehemently opposed to the whole concept and refuse to
buy anything that uses it.  There's no blu-ray or HD-DVD in my future;
regular DVDs are already too restrictive and they're making it far worse
for the next generation.  

> Microsoft is set to launch IP TV, so maybe Zune will eventually do
> what the iPhone does, with ipTV service to boot.  Time will tell...

Zune won't ever do anything well.  It'll die a drawn-out and painful
death.

Greg