You can, and in that case you get the unmolested file immediately (e.g. their system is smart enough to give it to you without an unencode/reencode step). They also have a good amount of their older stuff at 192, 256 and 320k CBR mp3s. You can get these as part of your 1000/month option which works out at very high bitrate files for only 1.2-1.5c each (e.g. c. 10c for a full album at 320k in some cases). I don't know what encoder they used on these files however; the 384k files are EAC ripped, LAME encoded (they get the files from users and give credit for downloads).
Apples and Shuttles are very different machines and it is unfair to compare them. Apple are selling a complete computer and OS that works out of the box to people who are never going to open that computer up. With the compact Apples (iMac, G4 cube) there would be no point in any case as they are basically unexpandable.
Shuttle sell barebones systems to enthusiasts which you have to open up to add your own CPU, RAM, hard drive, floppy drive, and optical drive, never mind the OS. Compared to an iMac or G4 cube, they have all the base ports built in and yet are highly expandable with standard desktop components - 1 PCI, 1 AGP, 2x3.5" bays, 1x5.25" bay in their standard XPCs, although I believe this Zen lacks the AGP slot.
why they didn't ditch the internal PSU sooner. Besides the size benefits to the box itself, you're moving a pretty hot component out of the box, making it easier to cool, and quieter. As a laptop user, I'm used to the brick, and it doesn't bother me.
I've got a Shuttle XPC as a monitor-less HTPC/home server. The Shuttle fulfils a role that neither a standard desktop or laptop could - a small, quiet bookshelf machine with 600gb of storage, TV card, a reasonably speedy processor and a DVD+-R drive - using standard desktop components, and so all at a reasonable price.
The alleged deal with allofmp3.com is the same as with the Spanish WebListen. Both operate on the system of compulsory licensing, and have signed deals with the artists/publishers associations in their respective countries. These organisations (ASCAP and BMI in the US) are separate from the record industry associations (RIAA).
Effectively these services operate like radio stations, and pay over a certain amount, either per track downloaded, or a flat fee negotiated, to these organisations. The general consensus is that they are legal in their home countries (and for Weblisten, presumably in all of the EU). I believe that Weblisten has been sued by the Spanish RIAA-equivalent but has prevailed. Weblisten has been around for 6 years, and allofmp3.com for 2 years, so one would expect that they would be gone by now if they were not legit.
You can find a good third-party review here - he also received a confirmation email from the Russian copyright organisation confirming allofmp3.com's legitimacy.
I've been signed up to allofmp3.com for a while and had no problems with my credit card, although I've always used a 'one use' number. Customer support is quick and efficient; they've responded within minutes to my queries. There doesn't seem to be any recurring billing either, you just sign up for a fixed term.
They allow online encoding into MP3/AAC/WMA/OGG/MPC but this is taking quite a while at the moment (in the queue for several days rather than only minutes) - presumably due to this mention on Slashdot. Your order is transcoded from 384k mp3 files rather than the uncompressed originals. This hasn't bothered me, but audiophiles might take issue.
Yeah, even Amazon.co.uk sell primarily multi-region players. I'd say it's pretty common;' arguably more difficult to get a region-restricted one these days.
Erm - downloads at 8-15KB/s (e.g. kilobytes) on a 56kb/s (kilobit) connection? You can see such speeds, but only because compression is used (both in the modem and on the webpages). This is generally only effective on text/html, as other things you are downloading are already compressed (video most certainly is).
Max theoretical download speed on 56k is going to be 7KB/s (e.g. 56/8). And that's not taking into account protocol overhead, line quality, etc. Max on 28.8 will be around 3.5 - less if you consider protocol overhead.
I think they have been introduced in the UK - there is also a model tied into Sky's satellite TV service (Sky+). This may also work in Ireland (where I am), but I don't know about elsewhere. Personally I'm using a Shuttle as a PVR, but I've had so many problems with the TV recording (primarily audio/video sync problems) that I can see why a box that 'just works' would be appreciated.
It's too late now, obviously, but it was possible to just queue up everything you wanted in the last month (cancelling the download immediately) and then download it at leisure after the rules changed. (You had unlimited downloads of anything you had 'downloaded' before, and queueing counted as downloading.) I think I can still even download the stuff I had downloaded before, even though I cancelled my sub months ago - my account still works and lists off all my downloads.
Well the AVE (high speed Spanish train from Madrid to Sevilla) already do have airline-style checkpoints before you board - your luggage goes through an x-ray machine and you have to walk through a metal detector. It doesn't take too long. Spain has a long history of dealing with terrorism, primarily ETA.
As he states in the article, the new version displays much better in PDAs (IE on Pocket PC, anyway). It's actually completely readable, with no horizontal scrollbars. More than readable; it even looks good. Even readable is more than you can say for most sites. It would be great to be able to read Slashdot on my PDA, if this change is taken on.
Slashdot Mirror
You can, and in that case you get the unmolested file immediately (e.g. their system is smart enough to give it to you without an unencode/reencode step). They also have a good amount of their older stuff at 192, 256 and 320k CBR mp3s. You can get these as part of your 1000/month option which works out at very high bitrate files for only 1.2-1.5c each (e.g. c. 10c for a full album at 320k in some cases). I don't know what encoder they used on these files however; the 384k files are EAC ripped, LAME encoded (they get the files from users and give credit for downloads).
Shuttle sell barebones systems to enthusiasts which you have to open up to add your own CPU, RAM, hard drive, floppy drive, and optical drive, never mind the OS. Compared to an iMac or G4 cube, they have all the base ports built in and yet are highly expandable with standard desktop components - 1 PCI, 1 AGP, 2x3.5" bays, 1x5.25" bay in their standard XPCs, although I believe this Zen lacks the AGP slot.
I've got a Shuttle XPC as a monitor-less HTPC/home server. The Shuttle fulfils a role that neither a standard desktop or laptop could - a small, quiet bookshelf machine with 600gb of storage, TV card, a reasonably speedy processor and a DVD+-R drive - using standard desktop components, and so all at a reasonable price.
Effectively these services operate like radio stations, and pay over a certain amount, either per track downloaded, or a flat fee negotiated, to these organisations. The general consensus is that they are legal in their home countries (and for Weblisten, presumably in all of the EU). I believe that Weblisten has been sued by the Spanish RIAA-equivalent but has prevailed. Weblisten has been around for 6 years, and allofmp3.com for 2 years, so one would expect that they would be gone by now if they were not legit.
You can find a good third-party review here - he also received a confirmation email from the Russian copyright organisation confirming allofmp3.com's legitimacy.
I've been signed up to allofmp3.com for a while and had no problems with my credit card, although I've always used a 'one use' number. Customer support is quick and efficient; they've responded within minutes to my queries. There doesn't seem to be any recurring billing either, you just sign up for a fixed term.
They allow online encoding into MP3/AAC/WMA/OGG/MPC but this is taking quite a while at the moment (in the queue for several days rather than only minutes) - presumably due to this mention on Slashdot. Your order is transcoded from 384k mp3 files rather than the uncompressed originals. This hasn't bothered me, but audiophiles might take issue.
They play fine in my copy of Opera (7.10), unless of course I disable the flash plugin.
Yeah, even Amazon.co.uk sell primarily multi-region players. I'd say it's pretty common;' arguably more difficult to get a region-restricted one these days.
Erm - downloads at 8-15KB/s (e.g. kilobytes) on a 56kb/s (kilobit) connection? You can see such speeds, but only because compression is used (both in the modem and on the webpages). This is generally only effective on text/html, as other things you are downloading are already compressed (video most certainly is). Max theoretical download speed on 56k is going to be 7KB/s (e.g. 56/8). And that's not taking into account protocol overhead, line quality, etc. Max on 28.8 will be around 3.5 - less if you consider protocol overhead.
I think they have been introduced in the UK - there is also a model tied into Sky's satellite TV service (Sky+). This may also work in Ireland (where I am), but I don't know about elsewhere. Personally I'm using a Shuttle as a PVR, but I've had so many problems with the TV recording (primarily audio/video sync problems) that I can see why a box that 'just works' would be appreciated.
It's too late now, obviously, but it was possible to just queue up everything you wanted in the last month (cancelling the download immediately) and then download it at leisure after the rules changed. (You had unlimited downloads of anything you had 'downloaded' before, and queueing counted as downloading.) I think I can still even download the stuff I had downloaded before, even though I cancelled my sub months ago - my account still works and lists off all my downloads.
Well the AVE (high speed Spanish train from Madrid to Sevilla) already do have airline-style checkpoints before you board - your luggage goes through an x-ray machine and you have to walk through a metal detector. It doesn't take too long. Spain has a long history of dealing with terrorism, primarily ETA.
Have you tried the new version on a PDA? Looks pretty good to me as is (on Pocket PC).
As he states in the article, the new version displays much better in PDAs (IE on Pocket PC, anyway). It's actually completely readable, with no horizontal scrollbars. More than readable; it even looks good. Even readable is more than you can say for most sites. It would be great to be able to read Slashdot on my PDA, if this change is taken on.