After spending one week with my iPhone I pretty much love a lot more things about it then I hate. Well, I only really seem to hate one thing about it at this point. I ordered some audible audiobooks on my laptop a couple of nights ago. Normally, I’d just drag those audiofiles to my ipod/iphone in iTunes and be on my merry little way.
But, here’s the problem. I tied my iPhone to my Mac Pro so it wouldn’t let me get any of the files off of my laptop. Should this really be a problem in 2008? I mean it’s not like DRM and mp3’s were created yesterday. Why the heck can I not legitimately transfer files I paid for to my iPhone, from what ever machine tickles my fancy, so long as I own it, so long as the audio was purchased on my account, so long as I am signed into my account. Is it really that difficult of a task?
I know what you’re all thinking.
“Why didn’t he move the files from his ibook to his mac pro then put the files on his iPhone”. Am I right? I bet I was!
Well, principle aside, I was out of town with my iBook without physical access to my Mac Pro. So, that left me with no way to attach my iPhone to my Mac Pro and add the files that way.
Now, back to the principle. How stupid is it that I even have to rant about this crap. Paid for my iBook: Check! Paid for my Mac Pro: Check! Paid for my music: Check! Paid for my audiobooks: Check! Have the ability to upload my paid for audiobook to my paid for iPhone with my paid for computers: NOPE!
I think it’s time this gets addressed without having to crack my iPhone and install sketchy third party apps. It’s not rocket science here, surely they could create some checks and balances to ensure that I have access to my media when I want it from whatever source I want to get it from.
Lame Apple, really freakin Lame.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:04 am
This is the kind of thing you pick up the phone and call Apple about. They may have a workaround. Are you buying your audio books from iTunes or from Audible?
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July 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Just burn the audio files to a CD and import that in to the iTunes of your Mac Pro. That should work.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Um. You mean lame Audible. Really freaking lame, as that DRM is an Audible issue, not Apple.
A few months back, Cory Doctorow was on This Week in Tech, which is sponsored by Audible. And he went off on a tear about Audible's DRM. I think it was TWIT 124. Let's see…Here is is: http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/twit/TWiT0124H.mp3. Comes at about 2/3rds of the way through. OR you can go to twit.tv and listen to it in a bunch of formats, or download via iTunes.
Right now Apple is getting screwed over by the record companies who are offereing DRM free tunes to Amazon and other non-Apple companies, while Apple is locked into their 128KBS/DRMed music deal for the next little while. I don't think Apple wants DRM, but is willing to use it so as to make the inroads it needs to.
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July 28th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
See, I can transfer it between any apple computer I want, much like iTunes tracks. It plays fine in my iTunes library. The problem isn't really the DRM. The problem is that I'm asked to format my iPhone when I plug it into my laptop. I own them both, and they're both on the same iTunes account. So, my iPhone is preventing me from getting the audio off of my laptop while I was on the road. Not the DRM.
The DRM sucks, but the DRM isn't really my problem here. The problem is that Apple refuses to let me use my iPhone with multiple computers that I own. :( I'm not sure if I clearly addressed that in the post. lol.
For a company that markets the AIR to road warriors, I wonder if they assume that people will never purchase a track or audio book while on the road with their AIR and want to transfer it to an iPod at some point. So, it looks like I still mean LAME APPLE… REALLY FREAKIN LAME. heh.
You should be able to access tracks from multiple iTunes libraries so long as you purchased them with the same account on both machines. Doesn't seem too difficult.
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July 28th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
See, I can transfer it between any apple computer I want, much like iTunes tracks. It plays fine in my iTunes library. The problem isn't really the DRM. The problem is that I'm asked to format my iPhone when I plug it into my laptop. I own them both, and they're both on the same iTunes account. So, my iPhone is preventing me from getting the audio off of my laptop while I was on the road. Not the DRM.
The DRM sucks, but the DRM isn't really my problem here. The problem is that Apple refuses to let me use my iPhone with multiple computers that I own. :( I'm not sure if I clearly addressed that in the post. lol.
For a company that markets the AIR to road warriors, I wonder if they assume that people will never purchase a track or audio book while on the road with their AIR and want to transfer it to an iPod at some point. So, it looks like I still mean LAME APPLE… REALLY FREAKIN LAME. heh.
You should be able to access tracks from multiple iTunes libraries so long as you purchased them with the same account on both machines. Doesn't seem too difficult.
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