iPad

[David Kramer]

Martin Owens wrote:
> On Sun, 2010-04-11 at 23:35 -0400, David Kramer wrote:
>> The difference is, my solution to this stuff not working under Linux
>> (because EVERY Linux program that can sync with an iPod currently has
>> big problems.  Details if you're curious, but take my word for it), my
>> response is to not fight it, but use an old laptop running Windows XP
>> for managing them (disclaimer: In the process of moving over now).
>> Because I understood what I was getting myself into. 
> 
> And isn't that thoroughly distasteful?

It's less distasteful than not being able to do what I want.  Which I
can't in Linux.  I am totally baffled why more focus isn't put on
syncing with MP3 players in Linux, since they are so ubiquitous.  But
half the media players out there are dead projects or not focusing on
syncing with MP3 players as more than an afterthought, if at all.

For instance, Songbird is dropping Linux support.  The default app in
Ubuntu is Rhythmbox, which is a dead project.  Banshee is active, but
not focusing on syncing (which sucks, since it's the only one that
ACTUALLY SYNCS as opposed to just copying music you tell it to).  Amarok
has split so now there are two projects with half the effort devoted to
them.  Need I go on?

> My solution is to change the laws and make all these companies illegal.

My solution is to work within the world I live in.  More power to you if
you are able to help make vendor lock-in by oligopolies illegal, and
have the federal government enforce it actively.  I don't see that
happening.  Certainly not in the timeframe I want to load songs on my
iPhone in.


> I don't care if everyone does it, two wrongs don't make a right. Nor do
> 100.

There are an awful lot of things that are not right but are perfectly
legal.  You can't fine a company for being bad though.  Until DRM and
proprietary protocols and vendor lock-in and restrictive use and third
party app policies turn into losing strategies, they will march on
stronger than ever.

I feel what little ground we gained in the music industry were forfeited
by Jobs not putting his money where his mouth is when he said he hates
DRM.  Again. my solution is to buy unencumbered MP3s from Amazon.com,
who even has a Linux version of their Amazon MP3 Downloader.

So my plan for this afternoon (and the Apple Store in the Burlington
Mall confirms this will work) is to plug the external USB hard drives
(with my 6200 completely legal MP3 files) into the Windows laptop and
tell iTunes to import them so I can load them onto my iPhone.  I have
been assured the MP3 files will remain unencumbered, so I can move the
hard drive back and forth between the two computers without problems.

In other words, I get what I want.

The only trouble I forsee is if I start up iTunes without that hard
drive attached, it may bitch.  We'll see.