Hi,
Please don't confuse the iPod with the iTunes Music store. Last I
checked, the iPod could play MP3s just fine, and there were several
open source projects that allowed you to manage your library on just
about any platform. I'd argue the iPod is no more closed than any
other MP3 player on the market today
Would you rather be tied to Windows DRM players....?
No arguments with Apples AAC DRM. But, since the iTunes store was
not accessible until a week or so ago, I have used the amazon store
to get my music. That's another example of how the iPod is not a
closed system--you have alternatives.
That said, the cross platform solution of iTunes and iPods seems
quite elegant regardless of platform. And the marketplace seems to
agree.
Best,
Scott
On Sep 20, 2008, at 8:50 PM, WWJD wrote:
So, if you ever got an IPod, how do you expect to transfer things
to it, if you're not using ITunes.
And why is it that just because we own an Apple computer we'r
automagically going to get an iPod? Personally, I have issues with
something being seemingly so tied to one platform (i.e. iTunes) that
there's no real flexibility for working with it in some other way.
It's good in one way, which is both Apple's strength and Apple's
weakness: everything works together pretty seamlessly, and in a very
stable way with few crashes and few headaches. This, at the expense
of hardware flexibility. It's a model radically different from the
PC model, and it has real advantages. It also has real disadvantages
if you want something different than what's offered to you. A friend
of mine and I were having this general discussion last week, and
Apple's closed system was a real deal-breaker for him. Not so much
for me, so long as I understand and am willing to live with the
limitations such a system has built in. For an OS that I want to use
to get work done, I'm happy to live in Apple's world. It works, it
works very well, and I like the thought processes that went into
Voicover's interface and, by extension, into the user interface for
MacOSX generally. I'm not quite sold on extending that closed system
to my music wants and portable media, however. Yes! Having a talking
iPod is super! Having an off-the-shelf device that talks pretty
nearly out of the box is a giant step forward. I'm just not
convinced that I want to be or need to be locked into iTunes to have
it. The fact that many of the tracks available are DRM-free goes a
long way to swaying me, but it hasn't gone the whole way. DRM, by
the way, is one of the biggest reasons I haven't jumped right on
Audible, although I've been and am sorely tempted by the content. I
still have philosophical issues.
So. What if I want an iPod? What if I don't, and a Sansa, or an
IAudio, or an Olympus, or a Victor Reader Stream, is good enough and
meets my needs just as well?
Chris.
----- Original Message ----- From: "erik burggraaf"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac
OS X by theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: ITunes Alternatives
Hum. VLC is a little clunky, but not near as bulkey as ITunes. I
wish I could like ITunes, but after a month of constant scrapping
I finally just gave up.
I think the minor problems I have with vlc will eventually get
fixed and we will have something really good... I hope.
Now the new ITunes and the fact that you can rent movies interests
me. I'm not a movie/tv fan in the slightest, but every once in a
while some one will recomend a movie, or there will be something
thatevery one has seen except me. Or some one who really likes
movies, like friends or family will be here and it might be
useful to have.
I haven't got motivated to play around with it yet though. I got
as far as updating to the new ITunes 8. Yesterday I opened it by
accident when I wanted quick look and now the table of sources
isn't reading properly for me. It's making the swoosh noise that
page loading makes on the internet. Then it starts to readthe
highlighted item but before it can really get started on that
something refocusses the table and it says one row selected.
I just don't know.
Best,
erik burggraaf
Certified Technician
Assistive Computing LTD Support and training
Sales department: 888-828-2445
Support and Training: 888-255-5194
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website coming soon
On 20-Sep-08, at 3:44 PM, Tiffany D wrote:
I swear, this is not meant to offend anyone. I can't understand why
everyone is so hooked on ITunes. I personally use VLC Media Player
and love it. So is anyone else on here like me? If you don't use
VLC, what's your ITunes alternative and how accessible is it with VO?
Thanks,
Tiffanitsa
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