I’ll Pass on the iPhone

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So everyone is talking about the unveiling of Apple’s iPhone. I’ve got to admit, it looks pretty slick. However, I’ll be passing. First, it’s going to be expensive: $600. Yikes! Second, Apple has turned into the Microsoft of digital music. They have a stronghold over it, and it looks like they’re not loosening their grip one bit. There was an interesting article in the New York Times today about Apple’s “crippleware.” Basically, Apple has set it setup so that consumers who buy and download music from iTunes can only play those downloads on their iPod. Additionally, you can’t play songs that you purchase from other download stores on your iPod. So if you buy an iPod, you’re stuck downloading from Apple. What a scam.

Alpha Geek at Lifehacker made a strong case that buying CD’s is preferable to downloads for the simple fact that you have more control with what you do with them. One of the problems with downloads is that it’s a pain in the butt to get your songs back if for some reason your computer crashes and you lose them. If you had the CD, you can just rip it again.

When it gets down to it’s a personal choice. But if you want to save some money and want the liberty to do with your digital music as you please, steer clear of the iPhone.

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9 Comments

1. saramel on 15.01.2007 at 04:24 (Reply)

   I agree that all the restrictions on iTunes and other vendors music are a bit ridiculous. Just wanted to point out that the iPod will play mp3s, so you don’t have to only buy music from iTunes - mp3s are pretty standard. Also, as for losing your music, don’t you back-up? If you back-up to music CDs then you don’t have to worry about losing your music and you can get around the DRM by ripping the CDs back to your computer - of course burning a large collection to music CDs would be a pain. Anyway, I don’t have an iPod or any other mp3 player, and I’m not defending Apple (although I still think they are much better than Microsoft), but I think the problem with their DRM is sometimes ovestated.

2. Andrew Flusche on 15.01.2007 at 09:08 (Reply)

   FLS, I totally agree with you about the iPhone. Talk about an expensive waste! For $600 it should teleport me, not just make phone calls.

   However, I am a fan of the iPod. As saramel said, you can put any mp3 onto it. Thus, you can play all your CDs or previously downloaded music on it. I’ve had my Nano for almost a year and I haven’t paid a single cent to iTunes. They have a couple free downloads per week (sometimes junk, but sometimes hidden gems), and then there’s podcasts. Plus, you can rip streaming radio to mp3s. Who needs more music than that?

   Since I got the iPod with Westlaw points, I really haven’t paid Apple a dime.

   Take care,
   Andrew

3. Matthew Paulson on 15.01.2007 at 12:51 (Reply)

   I don’t see what the big deal is, I have an MP3 player, and a Cellphone, I’m not going to pay an extra $600 so they’re in one device.

   http://getting-green.blogspot.com

4. The Frugal Law Student on 15.01.2007 at 16:20 (Reply)

   Thanks for your comments! I’m aware that you can rip your cd’s on to an mp3. I’ve been doing that with the Sum and Substance Cd’s and my wife’s iPod. But I think that bolsters the argument that owning cd’s is better than downloading music. Just buy or barrow the CD and if you want to listen to it while on the go, rip it to your iPod. I’ve thought about ripping streaming music, but have been timid to do so on account of the music industry cracking down hard on pirating music. Can one get in trouble for ripping from streaming radio?

5. samerwriter on 15.01.2007 at 17:41 (Reply)

   I have mixed opinions on the iPhone.

   On the one hand, it is extremely expensive, and it is “closed”.

   On the other hand, if the phone really is as intuitive to use as the demos suggest, it will be the first “smartphone” that doesn’t suck.

   The cellphone market in the US has been completely stagnant for years. If Apple manages to break the control the networks have over the phones, then I don’t care if it involved ceding some of that control to Apple. The precedent is what’s important.

6. saramel on 16.01.2007 at 06:23 (Reply)

   FLS, I don’t think it would be possible to get in trouble for ripping from streaming radio, unless you were to turn around and offer the mp3s up to other people online. The music is streaming to your computer already — just as know one knows if you use your stereo to record something from the regular radio, know one would know if you used your computer to record something from internet radio.

7. The Frugal Law Student on 16.01.2007 at 06:44 (Reply)

   saramel- thanks for the response. I’ll be looking into this.

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8. free iphone 3G on 17.07.2008 at 08:49 (Reply)

   Obviously Apple are going to corner the market they currently dominate. They have no doubt learned their lesson from the last time when they didn’t do everything they could to secure a market for the Mac and almost lost everything.

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