Steve Jobs Outlines iTunes DRM-free Plan

Speaking at a joint press conference with EMI Group in London, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reiterated his stance against copy protection in music downloads, and explained exactly what the iTunes Store is doing to promote interoperability between portable media devices.

Starting in May, the iTunes Store will offer EMI's catalog worldwide without copy protection, and those enhanced tracks will also be encoded at 256kb AAC - twice the bit rate as current Fairplay-encoded tracks - for US$1.29 each. The existing DRM-enabled library will still be available at the standard $0.99 a track, allowing users to choose which version of the songs they want. Full album pricing, however, will remain the same: Users will not have to pay a premium for DRM-free full album purchases.

Mr. Jobs called the new DRM-free music option an "interoperability safety net," meaning users can purchase tracks without worrying which brand music playerthey will load the songs on.

Apple is also offering EMI's DRM-free deal to all music labels. Mr. Jobs predicts that about half of the 5 million tracks available at the iTunes Store will be DRM-free by the end of 2007 as additional labels come on board.

Users hoping for video downloads without copy protection, however, will still have to wait. Mr. Jobs said that the video market works differently than the music market since CDs are already sold without copy protection, but commercial DVDs are not.

Although Apple is the first company to offer EMI's library without copy protection, it won't be the only one. EMI is offering its higher priced DRM-free music to other resellers as well. So far there is no word on which music download services will sign on.

Apple's place as the market leader in music downloads puts the company in a strong position to advocate DRM-free song purchases. Despite resistance from other labels, the deal with EMI may signal the beginning of the end for music copy protection.

The Claude Review - Why Vista Sucks

Ok, just in case you are wondering if you want to move to the next step?? or follow Windows steps? here is something to read from a VERY trustful source.

MH
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I know im probably going to get shit from all you guys after sending this email... but now after actually personally using Vista and owning a copy.. i can only share my words of wisdom.. if you are interested in knowing why Vista sucks... read below.. if you don't care.. spare yourself the time and just get OS X.


My work gave me a legit copy of Windows Ultimate Vista Edition (their "uber" package). I have been using it for the past two weeks, and I now have all my previous data copied back to it. All i can say is....


Northing is new, only the program name changes, its icons, and where these things live in the operating system. Its all the same shit as XP (slightly more stable), with pretty windows (still not comparable to OS X), loaded with DRM (your worst nightmare), and it IS slower than XP. Benchmarks have proved XP is faster for most tasks... why you might ask? The answer is simple.. UAC within Vista (User Access Control, their way of securing XP, which is simply to ask you 10 times if you want to do something... I swear I had to click on accept 6 fucking times to delete a shortcut!!!!). Another reason why its slow, and its probably the most significant reason, is because of DRM... Vista is made to strip all your rights over all your data... Your data will not be yours, it will be leased from the provider... you own nothing, and you will not be able to play or open that content on any other computer.


Here is the link that made me write this email...


http://www.forbes.com/security/2007/02/10/microsoft-vista-drm-tech-security-cz_bs_0212vista.html


It explains why DRM is fucking everything up.. and how Windows is helping them...


Seriously, I was really excited in the past with Vista and how they were going to introduce their new file system (this is what Vista was supposed to be... but they stripped the most important feature, they stripped it completely), and I was willing to give it a chance.. but all those limitations, the stripping of a new file system (notice that windows is the OS with the oldest filesystem now.. it can't recognize drives larger than 137GB without drivers ajaja), plus spending another 300-400 bucks on hardware just so you can get shadows under windows seems a bit overkill to me.. not to mention Vista Ultimate Edition is $450!!!! and still has 3/4 of the features that come with OS X.


The solution: Stop being a sheep and get OS X, where everything is open, its open source, the most secure and stable OS, best graphical user interface, only has one version of the OS (no home, business, enterprise, ultimate, superduper god version, etc...) just one that gives you all features. Plus you get to run any flavor of windows, linux, unix, or os x natively on your Mac, and use an OS that is years ahead Windoze.


Steve Jobs apparently spoke this week on how he urges the music and movie industry to change their current wrecked online business model that depends on DRM, to a more open system that doesn't corrupt the consumer and generate more online sales... if there is one person in this world that has the power to influence the music industry.. its one man... our one and only lil Steve...


Why do I write this.. for my love of computers and most of all Music.. for DRM awareness. If I buy a CD sold by Sony, should I only be able to play it on sony discmans and sony cd players??? (Thats DRM for you...)


Clear as mud???


bueno .. this is what you get when im bored at work.... jajaja




later dudes...


Your Uber Geek
Clodas

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Here are more comments if you're interested.




http://badvista.fsf.org/blog/article-from-the-fsf-bulletin