Apple Apps "Bubble" Talk Just That, As Downloads Soar

CNBC ^ | 12/05/2008 | By:Jim Goldman

[dayglored]

> Oh, I know the iPod will play non-DRMed files. Doesn't play FLAC files, tho. ;)

Yeah, I haven't found that to be a problem myself, but your point is taken.

I got a little Samsung player about the size of a Flash thumb drive, 2GB, a couple years ago, that (after I got home with it) I learned only worked with Windows Media Player 10 (not 9, not 11). The first thing I did was find alternate firmware on a European site and a firmware downloader -- replaced its brain, and it became a useful device.

God I hate DRM ...

[dayglored]

> Well, people did actually buy Windows Vista....

What amazes me is that they CONTINUE to buy Vista, even though if you just ask politely, any major vendor will allow you to put XP on one of their computers.

I've played a little with Win7, and am sorry to say that so far, it's just Vista with a few default functions removed, "Vista" crossed out, and "Win7" written in crayon...

[smokingfrog]

That 3 glasses routine sounds just like me. Still, none of them ever seem to be exactly right.

[dayglored]

> Microsoft has been caught as being behind the “iPods only play DRM music” whispering campaign - they use it to either try to drive Zune sales, or to try to excuse the Zune DRM.

What??? Microsoft engage in a lying campaign??? Microsoft??? Fund efforts to undermine their competition with outright fabrications??? Why, I'm SHOCKED (*cough* SCO *cough*) SHOCKED I tell you!!!

[dayglored]

> That 3 glasses routine sounds just like me. Still, none of them ever seem to be exactly right.

Ain't that the truth. And every couple of years, it all shifts and drifts and ya have to get new ones, and then the cataracts start....

Getting old is teh sux0rz.

[CE2949BB]

I got a little Samsung player about the size of a Flash thumb drive, 2GB, a couple years ago, that (after I got home with it) I learned only worked with Windows Media Player 10 (not 9, not 11).

Oh, goodie!

The first thing I did was find alternate firmware on a European site and a firmware downloader -- replaced its brain, and it became a useful device.

I'm glad. :)

God I hate DRM ...

Everyone aware of it does. While I understand why content producers want DRM, it doesn't stop piracy and only frustrates legitimate users.

I purchased a couple PDFs a few years back that I can't do anything with now, because I'm no longer "authorized" to view them.

Apple gets bashed about it because they are the biggest target. It really isn't anything personal.

If Microsoft or the open source community had half the brains Apple does, it would be a different world.

[Swordmaker]

There you go. Enjoy!

Thank you for getting the obligatory FUD out of the way...

;^)>

[CE2949BB]

Getting old is teh sux0rz.

How about having perfect vision all of your life and then... one morning... waking up and you're nearsighted in one eye? ;)

And the ophthalmologist can't explain why it happened.

ha.

I'm still wondering what happened.

Haven't bought glasses, yet. Have a prescription. Somewhere.

[smokingfrog]

already done the cataracts thing - better than being blind but far from perfect

[dayglored]

> While I understand why content producers want DRM, it doesn't stop piracy and only frustrates legitimate users.

As a musician and songwriter, I certainly understand the copyright argument as it affects income. My gripe is that in fact the musicians and composers don't benefit from the DRM -- it's only for the pockets of the parasitic middlemen. I support eMusic.com and other indie-focussed outlets because they seem to be more connected to the writers and performers. Much as I like Apple's products, I don't patronize the iTunes store.

> I purchased a couple PDFs a few years back that I can't do anything with now, because I'm no longer "authorized" to view them.

Ouch! Yeah, that's a nasty one.

> Apple gets bashed about it because they are the biggest target. It really isn't anything personal.

That's good to know. ;-)

> If Microsoft or the open source community had half the brains Apple does, it would be a different world.

True, true.... but then, if Microsoft played nice, we'd lose the line of argument: "Yeah, Apple is closed and proprietary, but they're not as bad as Microsoft!".

And much as I love the open source folks (and have used Linux for most of a decade), I don't hold any foolish belief that they'll ever get out of their circular firing squad mentality. That will always remain a fairly anarchist segment, which is probably as it should be.

Apple seems to be doing well with the marketshare advantage in music players and fancy phones. So far, so good, they haven't become TOO evil yet.

I'd like to see Apple's computers get to about 30% market share. Microsoft can have 65%, and Linux will hold the rest. I fear that if Apple gets above 30%, they'll start getting evil, which would be a shame. They need to stay the underdog in computers.

[dayglored]

> I'm still wondering what happened.

Geez, that's awful, sorry to hear it! I've noticed that various things can affect my focus, but I haven't found anything that changes it permanently overnight.

> Haven't bought glasses, yet. Have a prescription. Somewhere.

Yeah, I hear that. Well, good luck finding the script, and I hope it solves the problem.

[SunkenCiv]

300,000,000 downloads... 100,000,000 in just the last six weeks!

And they did all that with a single button mouse?!? /joke alert

Thanks swordmaker.

[CE2949BB]

Yeah, I hear that. Well, good luck finding the script,

Ah, I can find it within minutes if I feel like it. Just, you know, it's admitting defeat.

and I hope it solves the problem.

Thanks. :)

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

One of the first downloads I got for the iphone was the U.S. Constitution.

Free at the app store.

[SmokingJoe]

“The funny thing is that looking at a movie on an iPod-sized screen is equivalent to watching a large screen TV from across a room”

You mean watching a movie on that tiny iPhone screen is the same as me and my family, sitting comfortably in our seats, and watching movies on our spiffy big screen HDTV in glorious HiDef? Where do you come up with this nonsense?

[sten]

so... when will there calls to ban iphones in moving vehicles? after all, all those gadgets on the tiny screen are very distracting while you drive

[aruanan]

You mean watching a movie on that tiny iPhone screen is the same as me and my family, sitting comfortably in our seats, and watching movies on our spiffy big screen HDTV in glorious HiDef? Where do you come up with this nonsense?

Sorry, you added the nonsense. I didn't say anything about more than one person watching it. I'm simply saying that for YOU, an individual, viewing an iPod in your hand 14 or so inches from your eyes is equivalent to watching a 3 foot wide screen from across the room. That's because both subtend the same angle. Doing so on an iPhone or iPod Touch would increase the equivalent screen width to about 4.2 feet.

[aruanan]

A big screen across the room allows my eyes to relax.

Yes, though this doesn't have anything to do with angles subtended. Draw a line from each side of a big TV across the room to your eye. As the distance decreases, the width between the lines decreases. Any screen that fits that width will take up as much visual space. This is why a movie on an iPod Classic can be comfortably watched without missing a lot of detail, even though it's a tiny little screen. Throw in a pair of good headphones and it's a pretty good experience.

[SmokingJoe]

“ I'm simply saying that for YOU, an individual, viewing an iPod in your hand 14 or so inches from your eyes is equivalent to watching a 3 foot wide screen from across the room”

Not for me it doesn't. I have watched videos on tiny screens, and then watched the same movies on my big HDTV screen. Its not even close. The HDTV wins by far. I don't know even one person who'd much rather watch a movie on an iPhone rather than on a big HDTV screen.
I am not sure where you are getting this piece of propaganda from.

[aruanan]

Not for me it doesn't.

I'm not talking about your subjective experience. I'm strictly talking about angles subtended. Any screen width that forms the base of that angle will take up as much visual space.