There are two independent issues here, and I'm not addressing yours. If Apple wants to restrict their on-line music store to iPod users, that's their business, not mine.
I always strip the DRM scheme in any case.
Well, actually the issues are not independent if you look at it from the point of view that Apple may be the only source for some digitally distributed music. If they have an exclusive that is. If they do not, and you were free to find the same music elsewhere, that would play on any player, then that would be okay. Of course there are people with iPods who visit the iStore, but undoubtedly have other players, perhaps non-Apple, that they might want to play the content they'd paid for.
I always strip the DRM scheme in any case.
Which renders your previous statement that - 'no hacking necessary' - to be disingenuous.
But Like I said previously - DRM is a boil on the butt of the consumers, so in my mind, anything that makes it useless, is okay in my book.
I'm not out to rip-off the creators of content, I just want the free and fair use of that which I've paid for. DRM denies me that, so, strip/hack/whatever, away.