I can't believe this question was chosen for "AskSlashdot." The answer is simple: gasoline (or oil, really) is cheaper than any other alternative fuel. Why? Abundant supply, cheap processing, and an existing infrastructure. Fuel cells, flywheels, solar power, electricity, all those alternatives cost more than gasoline (at least in the short term, and ignoring external costs, like environmental damage). Thus, none of the alternatives can compete with gasoline in the market. Also, it doesn't look like this state of affairs is likely to change in the near future, see the article about Thomas Gold in the July issue of Wired.
Newsflash: the use that you pay for when you buy a CD is personal listening. Fair use would cover you making a tape copy of a CD to listen to in your walkman. Fair use does not cover you making a tape copy for a friend, or even putting one song on a mix tape for a friend. As I understand this new encrypted format, you would still be able to copy the music as you hear it (i.e., no digital out line) for your own personal use. That's all the use you have ever paid for, and all the use you are ever going to get.
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I can't believe this question was chosen for "AskSlashdot." The answer is simple: gasoline (or oil, really) is cheaper than any other alternative fuel. Why? Abundant supply, cheap processing, and an existing infrastructure. Fuel cells, flywheels, solar power, electricity, all those alternatives cost more than gasoline (at least in the short term, and ignoring external costs, like environmental damage). Thus, none of the alternatives can compete with gasoline in the market. Also, it doesn't look like this state of affairs is likely to change in the near future, see the article about Thomas Gold in the July issue of Wired.
Newsflash: the use that you pay for when you buy a CD is personal listening. Fair use would cover you making a tape copy of a CD to listen to in your walkman. Fair use does not cover you making a tape copy for a friend, or even putting one song on a mix tape for a friend. As I understand this new encrypted format, you would still be able to copy the music as you hear it (i.e., no digital out line) for your own personal use. That's all the use you have ever paid for, and all the use you are ever going to get.