How about instead "Guess what my [b]best[/b] alternative will be."
Think about it. The other options are unrealistic, non-ideal and needlessly restrictive.
It's funny but I have never purchased a show from iTunes. Why? Aside from my disinterest in most of their content I am not paying $1.99 for a low resolution and DRM laden version of something that I can catch for free on television/tivo. They want to increase the price and DRM? That's crazy.
If their goal is to decrease piracy then I think this will have the opposite effect. Even assuming the find another outlet to sell their TV shows what happens when a) it's more expensive than iTunes, b) it has more DRM and c) the files will likely not play on the iPod. People will do the obvious and get their digital downloads somewhere else, likely "illegally" and likely for free. Poor move in my opinion. Their greed is going to bite them in the ass. Makes me regret that Heroes DVD purchase.
Do people on/. even know what it means to be an illegal monopoly?
It doesn't just require a company to have 80, 90 or even 100 percent of the market. Just having a large markershare is not wrong or bad. If you have a great product that is holding marketshare on it's own merit then you are not an illegal monopoly.
For it to be illegal you have to use illegal tactics and your dominant position to hold that monopoly, or to use your monopoly in one area to gain a monopoly in another. Just having a popular product is not enough to be considered a monopoly, you have to abuse that position to maintain it.
Apple is surely not a monopoly in digital music, and they definitely have not done anything to this point to indicate an abuse of a dominant position through illegal means. They are using DRM just like every other device manufacturer and music distributer out there.
Microsoft on the other hand knowingly and intentionally used their position to maintain said position and to also branch into other areas.
I know this is going to sound incredibly mean, but...
You were a programmer on MusicMatch for Mac? How do you sleep at night? That had to be the worst Mac MP3 player ever.
It was about three years behind the windows version, it was slow, had a terrible UI, and god was it ugly! iTunes may have been the final nail, but nothing could have saved that application aside from a redesign from the ground up.
Sorry, but I the pain of trying to use that is still fresh in my mind. I a sure it isn't your fault.
I hate to say it but your argument is flawed on so many levels.
What if the car manufacturer forgets to put locks on all the doors, is that your fault?
Or the contractor decides it is more cost effective to leave the dead bolt off.
No it isn't Microsofts absolute responsibility to secure your computer, but when they leave the locks off and the door open it is their responsibility.
If you got a car that didn't require an ignition key to start I am sure you would be pissed.
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How about instead "Guess what my [b]best[/b] alternative will be." Think about it. The other options are unrealistic, non-ideal and needlessly restrictive. It's funny but I have never purchased a show from iTunes. Why? Aside from my disinterest in most of their content I am not paying $1.99 for a low resolution and DRM laden version of something that I can catch for free on television/tivo. They want to increase the price and DRM? That's crazy. If their goal is to decrease piracy then I think this will have the opposite effect. Even assuming the find another outlet to sell their TV shows what happens when a) it's more expensive than iTunes, b) it has more DRM and c) the files will likely not play on the iPod. People will do the obvious and get their digital downloads somewhere else, likely "illegally" and likely for free. Poor move in my opinion. Their greed is going to bite them in the ass. Makes me regret that Heroes DVD purchase.
Do people on /. even know what it means to be an illegal monopoly?
It doesn't just require a company to have 80, 90 or even 100 percent of the market. Just having a large markershare is not wrong or bad. If you have a great product that is holding marketshare on it's own merit then you are not an illegal monopoly.
For it to be illegal you have to use illegal tactics and your dominant position to hold that monopoly, or to use your monopoly in one area to gain a monopoly in another. Just having a popular product is not enough to be considered a monopoly, you have to abuse that position to maintain it.
Apple is surely not a monopoly in digital music, and they definitely have not done anything to this point to indicate an abuse of a dominant position through illegal means. They are using DRM just like every other device manufacturer and music distributer out there.
Microsoft on the other hand knowingly and intentionally used their position to maintain said position and to also branch into other areas.
I know this is going to sound incredibly mean, but... You were a programmer on MusicMatch for Mac? How do you sleep at night? That had to be the worst Mac MP3 player ever. It was about three years behind the windows version, it was slow, had a terrible UI, and god was it ugly! iTunes may have been the final nail, but nothing could have saved that application aside from a redesign from the ground up. Sorry, but I the pain of trying to use that is still fresh in my mind. I a sure it isn't your fault.
There is already a Mac menu extra.
t at us/
http://homepage.mac.com/carsten.guenther/GmailS
Or for a quick fix: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
It is pretty sad that you call yourself a "power user" but you can't even figure out how to turn off the Finder's hiding of files.
I hate to say it but your argument is flawed on so many levels. What if the car manufacturer forgets to put locks on all the doors, is that your fault? Or the contractor decides it is more cost effective to leave the dead bolt off. No it isn't Microsofts absolute responsibility to secure your computer, but when they leave the locks off and the door open it is their responsibility. If you got a car that didn't require an ignition key to start I am sure you would be pissed.