desh | (no subject)

Dear Apple,

I have no problem paying for music. I really don't. Never have. I just hate DRM. Refuse to play any locked music, ever. It's not that I want to share music (though I sometimes do); I just like to be able to play things wherever I want. Plus, it's the principle of the thing. So back when JHymn worked on iTunes-purchased songs, I happily bought from you. When you blocked out JHymn, you stopped getting my money.

I still held out hope that I'd come back to you. You're the market leader, after all. For a year or more I've really had no good alternative. I may have downloaded some music through some less-than-industry-supported means, shall we say. And I never did stop buying and ripping CDs on occasion. But for the most part I just got less music. A shame, really.

But now I hear that Amazon has a new digital music store. MP3-based. No DRM (which might not even be possible to put on MP3s anyway). And it's even cheaper than you. I've tried it already, and it's quite nice.

Sorry, Apple. It's over. For good. You're off my speed dial.

Love,
Desh

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You DO know that for some songs Apple offers them both DRM-encumbered and DRM-free, right? The pricing is $1.98 instead of $0.99 (or something) and I think it's called "Free Play", or something silly. Also, Amazon offers only certain songs cheaper... but is willing to bow to music industry pressure to keep other songs more expensive - that's how they convinced certain studios to part company with Apple in the first place. At least Apple is forcing the music industry to abandon its ridiculous hold on pricing. Also, man up and buy an iPod... jerk.

--Jeff