[Discuss] MP3 Players

[Steve Nelson]

Hmmm

 I use Amorok and my iPod. My music is all ripped personally from CD's.

I have never run into DRM stuff.............. ymmv

Steve

On July 1, 2007 13:43:50 R. Langkamer wrote:
> On 7/1/07 9:49 AM, Adam Parkin wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> >> Do the newer ones hassle you about DRM, or does that all happen in
> >> the computer, not the player?
> >
> > The device doesn't (or at least the shuffle didn't with me), but iTunes
> > certainly does.  I wasn't using the latest version (just whatever
> > version came with the shuffle), but (for example) I had to register the
> > Shuffle with a particular user.  So when my wife wanted to use the
> > shuffle she logged into the computer we share under her name, plugged in
> > the Ipod and got a "This device is registered to Pedle Zelnip, would you
> > like to reigster it to yourself?" or some similar message.  She of
> > course said yes, AND THEN EVERYTHING I HAD ON THE DEVICE WAS ERASED.
> > Another example: I had all my MP3's on one machine with iTunes.  I then
> > installed iTunes on another machine before I copied all my MP3's over to
> > it.  When I plugged the device into the new machine it decided that
> > since it couldn't find any of the MP3's on the iPod on the new machine I
> > must be trying to share my music with my friends and thus decided that
> > all MP3's on the shuffle should be deleted from the device (without my
> > consent).  That was pretty well the moment I decided I would never buy
> > another iPod again (although technically I never bought the shuffle - it
> > was a gift as part of a promotion for TD Bank). :p
>
> 	iTunes only deals with DRM on purchased files. If you rip your music
> using iTunes, then the rip is sans-DRM. iTunes stores the music on the
> iPod in a "hidden" manner in addition to building the index. As far as I
> know, you can not simply copy MP3s to an iPod and have them play. You
> need some software that can copy the files to the iPod in the manner the
> iPod expects.
>
> 	iPods can only be "synced" with one computer, though there are ways
> around this, sort of. That being said, the newest version of iTunes
> (circa 7.x I think) allow you to copy your purchased (DRM) files from
> one computer to another using your iPod. The reason being, you are
> allowed up to 5 "authorized" computers for playback. Far better than
> what the "other empire" allows.
> 	So, if you setup your iPod on computer A and then plug it into computer
> B, you will not be able to add more music, unless you follow some of the
> "hints" on how to do this.
>
> 	As for buying music, I started to buy using the iTunes Store, but after
> about $200 worth, I got concerned about maintaining backups of the
> music. Whereas with my CD collection, all I would have to do is import
> the CDs again. So now I've decided to only buy CDs (that way I get
> inserts as well - not all iTunes Store purchases come with inserts) so
> long as they are the same price or less than what I would pay on the
> iTunes Store.