Apple now being criticized for their DRM free music sales
June 2nd, 2007 Leave a comment Visited 90 times, 2 so far today
Apple now being criticized for their DRM free music sales
Apple became the first major digital music retailer to offer DRM free music in collaboration with music company EMI. The company has just launched their iTunes Plus service which allows the web users to purchase DRM free music for 30 cents more compared to regular prices.
One of the major criticisms is related to this higher price tag which Apple counters by saying that the DRM free music gives more freedom to the end customer and it is being offered in higher bit rate. Analysts say that this just goes on to insult the iTunes customers as they are admitting that the regular offerings are provided at an inferior quality standard.
Tim Gideon, the Lead Audio and Video Analyst for PC Magazine spoke about the higher quality of the DRM free music: “Hmm. Let’s just bypass the insulting fact that we’ve been paying for lower quality all this time (since it’s not a new gripe) and tackle the real issues here: The increase in bitrate is minimal [from 128- to 256-Kbps] and will be imperceptible to most ears. So, while you’re ostensibly paying more to get better sound quality (which is still not CD quality), what you’re really paying more for is the record label’s ’sacrifice.’”
Another major issue with the DRM free music is the fact that Apple is embedding some private information in the DRM free music files related to the buyer of the files. The information encoded into the file includes name, account information, and e-mail address. Though the information is not very critical but it sure raises privacy concerns in case the user loses his iPod.
|
TechWhack on Facebook
|
June 2nd, 2007 at 5:17 pm
“Analysts say that this just goes on to insult the iTunes customers as they are admitting that the regular offerings are provided at an inferior quality standard.”
What nonsense is that. By the same logic one yould as well argue, the fact that BMW brings out a 7 series model and dares to charge more than a 5 series model is an insult to everyone who bought a 5 series model and an admittal that the 5 series is an inferior product.
June 2nd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
My God! Apple bashers have a serious bug up their butts! Valium helps in situations like this. Maybe stack that up with a few Vicadens, Percs and Xanax. Everything is going to be okay.
June 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 pm
whine whine gripe gripe
June 3rd, 2007 at 6:26 am
I totally agree with Molitor