[Discuss] MP3 Players

[Adam Parkin]

Patrick wrote:
> Hmm.  So an iPod doesn't really *need* iTunes to build a track
> index for it?  Guess there's a bit of a delay while it makes one
> from scratch, but that's interesting.

Actually, unless this has changed with the newest models this is not the 
case.  The Shuffle I used to use DEFINITELY required you to use some 
software for indexing the MP3's on the device.  You dont' necessarily 
need to use iTunes as there are other alternatives out there that do the 
indexing and such for you, but you do need software support to get it to 
work.  Having said that, many of the alternatives are FOSS projects (one 
I used to use was written in Python) so there shouldn't be any issues 
getting them to work on Linux.

> 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

> [Please excuse a rant-ish moment but...]  I know that I own all
> the CDs that I ripped to MP3 on my old Mac, using my old copy of
> iTunes 1.1 [pre-DRM, pre-explosive-software-bloat] and I don't
> want or need to get anyone's permission before I can play them.
> That was a sentence with a lot of `I's in it, on purpose.  It's
> my computer, right?

Preaching to the choir I think.... ;)  Besides, that's not a rant -- 
look at the length of that paragraph and then look at mine on the 
Shuffle. :p
-- 
--
Adam Parkin
E-mail: pzelnip at gmail.com
Blog: http://pzelnip.blogspot.com/
----------------------
  I'm here because I'm not all there.....