Want an iPhone? Beware the iHandcuffs

[newtonjack]

By RANDALL STROSS
Published: January 14, 2007
STEVE JOBS, Apple?s showman nonpareil, provided the first public glimpse of the iPhone last week ? gorgeous, feature-laden and pricey. While following the master magician?s gestures, it was easy to overlook a most disappointing aspect: like its slimmer iPod siblings, the iPhone?s music-playing function will be limited by factory-installed ?crippleware.?

If ?crippleware? seems an unduly harsh description, it balances the euphemistic names that the industry uses for copy protection. Apple officially calls its own standard ?FairPlay,? but fair it is not.



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/b...gin&adxnnlx=1168801216-YF9JQ+/zIKeWW7gSyHRmKg

 

[Malatesta]

Interesting article but clearly the writer is using the iPhone to launch a much larger, older debate about DRM. The iPhone barely gets mentioned.

I'm still using iTunes 5 and JHymn to rip DRM off my tracks (QTFairUse6 is out now I guess it works with iTunes 7+)

 

[bcaslis#IM]

What exactly is this crippleware? You mean the same software installed in millions of iPods? You don't like iTunes? Buy a CD and rip it to any MP3. You want to see crippleware? Try Microsoft's DRM.

 

[Malatesta]

What exactly is this crippleware? You mean the same software installed in millions of iPods? You don't like iTunes? Buy a CD and rip it to any MP3. You want to see crippleware? Try Microsoft's DRM.

Did you read the article?

It defines crippleware.

It mentions burning to a CD to bypass it.

It mentions and heavily criticizes Microsoft's DRM (especially the Zune)

 

[bcaslis#IM]

Yes, I did. I'm not agreeing with the definition of crippleware, it's a DRM scheme that they need to get agreements with record companies. If you legally buy the CD or the song you can get around any issues. I really don't see how this can be justified as crippleware, they aren't taking away any functionality with the exception of unlimited distribution.