Yeah most people that are talking about the iphone now that are doing the bashing, don't really have their facts straight and use only tidbits to create an inaccurate big picture.

Since you can't go to an outside link ralph_on_me, here's the text of the article:

New York Times
January 14, 2007
by Randall Stross

Want an iPhone? Beware the iHandcuffs

Steve Jobs, Apple's showman nonpareil, provided the first public glimpse of the iPhone last week - gorgeous, feature-laden and pricey. While following the master magician's gestures, it was easy to overlook a most disappointing aspect: like its slimmer iPod siblings, the iPhone's music-playing function will be limited by factory-installed "crippleware."

If "crippleware" seems an unduly harsh description, it balances the euphemistic names that the industry uses for copy protection. Apple officially calls its own standard "FairPlay," but fai...
(continues)

So their whole beef is about DRM? Wow, this is a big shocker since all the iPods have the same DRM restrictions. They quickly glossed over how to remove the Apple DRM, even though it's quick and easy.

It seems like the lady's beef is with Windows. They don't provide a way to remove their DRM from the song. Apple does.

Boo hoo, I'm gonna go cry now.

🤣

You forget about how they lock you into Apple only decisions with no alternatives.

You also realize that alot of people do not know how or that it is even possible to get around the DRM.

Lastly, you don't even realize that if the DRM is so easy to get around (not effective) then why is it there in the first place? Obviously, Apple considers it effective.

The "beef" with Fairplay or DRM for that matter is nothing new.

I agree it's nothing new, that's why I find it funny that they're making a big stinking article about it. The talk around the iPhone is just something being used to bring it back up.

If someone loves windows media player then it sucks for them. They have to use iTunes to sync their music. I love iTunes, and I think it sucks when I have to use windows media player. It'd be great if everything used everyone elses programs, but that hasn't been the case since... ever. Has it?

Things may change eventually, but this argument is certainly nothing new.

I agree, itunes is ten times better and I have used it to move music to a PSP...and it just seems this a dig towards anti-iphone feelings...which has been running rampant lately.

captainplooky said:
You forget about how they lock you into Apple only decisions with no alternatives.

I don't understand what you mean by no alternatives? If you're suggesting that you can only load itunes downloads onto your iPod then you would be incorrect. Google videos for instance is an abundant library of videos downloadable for psp and iPod. I have moved about half of my Cds into my iPod, and will soon be downloading Dvdshrink to put backups of my movies onto my iPod as well. I have yet to come accrossed any limitations.

Actually it's a good article about the "crippleware" (aka DRM) coming with the Iphone.

As for your widgets, you better hope the ones you use have some big bucks to pay for the license fees and meet the standards of Jobs.

As it stands now, Apple has been fairly clear it will be some time before it's open to developers.

Steve Jobs sounds a bit out of it in describing the capabilities of the applications as well.

Steve Jobs
"You don’t want your phone to be an open platform. You need it to work when you need it to work. Cingular doesn’t want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up."

lol, that was a great quote! The way OSX is now, anyone can make a Widgit. The iPhone could be really really different and only allow certain ones. I don't know. The iPhone isn't in our hands yet.

The way I get most of mine now is to go to apple.com, and then download any freeware widgits I want. Hopefully the iPhone will be that simple as well, but honestly we just don't know yet.

So what's the big deal then? From what I've seen, itunes is a pretty good place to get stuff. The site works well, the downloads always work, and the prices are fair. Maybe I'm being naive, but I don't see the problem.

From what I read you buy it and put it on your iphone. That is it. You can move it to your ipod or anywhere else!

no.

The phone won't support direct downloads as it's not UMTS. You'll have to put the music into iTunes, and then sync it with the device. As it's only a 4 or 8 gig storage device, you'll probably have to select which playlists you want it to sync onto your iPhone simliar to what you have to do with other phones using iTunes.

It may treat your iPhone as another OS, in which case each iTunes account allows you to authorize mulitiple computers to access the music for said accout. You would simply have to authorize this device as one of your computers.

no like VHS tapes!