[pata2001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falqon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh really? Then why in the world does Apple sell the worlds biggest portable hard drive that doesn't act like a mass storage device? You brag about an 80gig hard drive, and then ignore the fact that you can't move your "DRM free" songs from one PC to another?

iPods are USB mass storage devices. Plug them in, and windows (including windows older than XP)/linux/MacOS recognize them as external hard drives. To be fair, Sony products are USB mass storage too. However, try doing that with XP only MTP devices or the Zune.

iTunes now provides a feature to transfer iTMS purchased tracks form iPod to PC/Mac. Try doing that with Sony's Connect tracks. Even winamp supports music transfer to/from iPods, without being locked to 1 PC. There are other free programs that will transfer your tracks form iPod back to PC (yamipod, sharepod, etc). Heck, you can always dig the hidden folder in the iPod via explorer and copy the MP3s yourself.

 

[liquidfireboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, the Ipod is a technologically crippled player supported by a company that uses viral marketing that reeks of superficiality. It's also true however, that Apple's position in the market today has spawned fierce competition. The result? Better, more sonically capable, more feature endowed players from other corporations to try to offset Apple's stranglehold over the industry. So let's all give Apple a big pat in the back. Their sonically...challenged, relatively featureless player is actually doing some indirect good for the more knowledgeable consumers of the world. Hurrah. http://www.cityofthornton.net/business/images/bizbriefs/Oct_04/ipod_280.jpg[/i] [/td] [/tr] [/table] Viral marketing...that Creative and Sony had no answer to. Creative released their first MP3 DAP in 1999, Apple the 1G iPod in 2001. That was like a period of 2 yrs where Apple had ZERO presence in the DAP market? Not to mention the 1G iPod was targeted only at Mac fanatics, not the mass market. Now how did Apple manage to get a stranglehold over the industry...if the other companies had not allowed it to in the first place?

 

[Falqon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pata2001 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Heck, you can always dig the hidden folder in the iPod via explorer and copy the MP3s yourself.

That is completely irrelevent to the discussion of the Apple "experience". Sure you can hack it a million ways, but one can hardly commend Apple for that.

As for PodWorks, once again, not something you pat Apple on the back for. I know exactly what Apple does, but in this case you're going around iTunes and complimenting iTunes for it. That doesn't make any sense.

That's great that you rip video's and hack your way around iTunes flaws, but that doesn't negate them.

 

[zip22]

if you're looking to transfer files to another computer, you can always load them onto the ipod's drive.

who is commending apple for the programs that get around some of the ipod's restrictions? i think you are attempting to trash apple but doing a poor job of it.

1) you can easily transfer songs to the ipod from more than one computer.

2) the ipod does not employ DRM unless you are purchasing from the itunes store.

3) the ipod does act as a mass storage device.

if there are ways around the flaws, doesn't that negate them (or at least diminish them)?

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1) you can easily transfer songs to the ipod from more than one computer.

Relatively easily with added and (for me anyway) non-free software

Quote:

3) the ipod does act as a mass storage device.

Yes, but it isnt plug and play as you would expect from a external hard drive, at least not under Windows XP , and file transfer is only possible with exogenous software.

Quote:

if there are ways around the flaws, doesn't that negate them?

No, it just means there are work-arounds, the flaws still exist.

None of which means I hate my iPod, I quite like it.

 

[Diode100]

Before my wife's lawyers intervened I listed to stuff through an iPod Photo/Naim62/140 combo/PROAC Tablette set up and the sound was magical, I had a Naim CD3 for hardplay, but theadditional convenience of the iPod won hands down. These days, somewhat down on my luck, I have a 1G nano playing through a Tivoli radio, which still manages to hit the spot everytime. I love the iPod, I'm sure more people are listening to music because of it, and I'm also sure that more people & companies are getting into audio because of it.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falqon /img/forum/go_quote.gif As for PodWorks, once again, not something you pat Apple on the back for. I know exactly what Apple does, but in this case you're going around iTunes and complimenting iTunes for it. That doesn't make any sense.

No, someone said it wasn't possible and I pointed out that for $15 it was.

There's a lot of great third party software for the Mac/iTunes/iPod. I'm not patting Apple on the back for it. I'm saying that it makes the best even better.

See ya
Steve

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, but it isnt plug and play as you would expect from a external hard drive, at least not under Windows XP , and file transfer is only possible with exogenous software.

On a Mac, the iPod shows up on the desktop just like every other drive. You click on it to open it and drag files and folders in and out the same as any hard drive.

See ya
Steve

 

[zip22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 Relatively easily with added and (for me anyway) non-free software

no, with itunes. ipods can be used with multiple computers (if you tell it you don't want to automatically sync). itunes just doesn't allow ipod to computer transfers. multiple computers to the ipod works.
Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 Yes, but it isnt plug and play as you would expect from a external hard drive, at least not under Windows XP , and file transfer is only possible with exogenous software.

no, file transfer works out of the box with no extra software. the ipods are UMS and are plug and play. you need software to write a database file for the ipod to play content, but you do not need drivers.
Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 No, it just means there are work-arounds, the flaws still exist.

they exist, but if there are work-arounds, the flaws have been avoided.

 

[Aevum]

actually,
music can only be shared between 3 different computers,
the ipod has 3 levels of DRM,
1)file wrapping, even if you load a DRM free MP3 file, inside the player its enclosed in a format wrapper, if you select the file inside the ipod with a normal file explorer/manager and try to play it with a normal mp3 player, IT WONT PLAY
2)the Loading mechanism,Music must be loaded and unloaded using itunes, dragging music on to the ipod is usless,
3)the cable, an ipod uses a propietary cable, meaning either you buy several cables to leave at each place you use the ipod or you can carry a cable always on you,

DRM isnt just a file license and a wrapper, its a whole lock in mechanism,

some of the issues can be resolved with rockbox, or a convertor, but in the end of the day, i rather have a working player then a play around with patches and work around,

 

[faichiu]

apple's product does not aim for SQ. The build for style and feature.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif no, file transfer works out of the box with no extra software.

My bad !

 

[zip22]

you are looking at the hidden files?
Tools > Folder Options > View > "Show Hidden Files and Folders"

you can move the files around however you please. the ipod needs a database file (written by a piece of software, itunes or otherwise) in order to use these files in its interface, but its drive is fully accessible.

 

[zip22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aevum 1)file wrapping, even if you load a DRM free MP3 file, inside the player its enclosed in a format wrapper, if you select the file inside the ipod with a normal file explorer/manager and try to play it with a normal mp3 player, IT WONT PLAY

absolutely wrong. i just listened to an MP3 file from an the ipod's hidden folders using windows media player.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aevum 2)the Loading mechanism,Music must be loaded and unloaded using itunes, dragging music on to the ipod is usless

wrong. there are a number of programs that can be used to write the ipod's database file.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aevum 3)the cable, an ipod uses a propietary cable, meaning either you buy several cables to leave at each place you use the ipod or you can carry a cable always on you

unless you are using an extremely broad definition, this is not DRM. in addition, most devices require cables. even if a cable is standard USB, you still need to buy several cables or always carry a cable.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif you are looking at the hidden files? Tools > Folder Options > View > "Show Hidden Files and Folders" you can move the files around however you please. the ipod needs a database file (written by a piece of software, itunes or otherwise) in order to use these files in its interface, but its drive is fully accessible.

Doh !. Mystery solved, thanks, it was under the iPod_Control directory, I forget just how much Microsoft patronises users by hiding stuff, I expect files to be always visible, I should really know better by now. George III never hid files from me when I was a mainframe programmer