Is iPad DRM iBad for our freedoms...?

[orwell2k]

Yes, I think jailbreak will be the way to go with this device, as for the iPhone - it could well open up the device to some very nica apps!

Although like many I was hoping for an OSX-type device, rather than an oversized iPod Touch. Missed opportunity by Apple, though I'm sure they'll make heaps of $$$.

Although Apple does like to keep their systems closed, jailbreak is great for the iPhone / iPad type devices, and OSX has been cracked to run on many PC machines. And OSX itself is great because their interface is soooo easy to use, and behind it all you have a Unix command line that means you can tweak and hack away - best of both worlds.

[Bremen Cole]

Another absurd thread title. The Kindle, Nook and Sony readers are by default tied to DRM and their company stores (Sony less than the others, but still....). The iPad will be no different. Of course Apple would prefer you buy everything from iTunes, but the consumer that wants to can always get around it. I have had iPods/iPhone over 4 years and have never bought even 1 mp3 from iTunes. I have bought a few apps (good value) but never any music.

Don't worry about a portable electronic device being bad for your "freedoms". Instead keep a close eye on your government.

[dragonbone]

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Another absurd thread title. The Kindle, Nook and Sony readers are by default tied to DRM and their company stores (Sony less than the others, but still....). The iPad will be no different. Of course Apple would prefer you buy everything from iTunes, but the consumer that wants to can always get around it. I have had iPods/iPhone over 4 years and have never bought even 1 mp3 from iTunes. I have bought a few apps (good value) but never any music.

Don't worry about a portable electronic device being bad for your "freedoms". Instead keep a close eye on your government.

Hehehe.... "Don't worry about a portable electronic device being bad for your "freedoms". Instead keep a close eye on your government.".

I'm in agreement. I've owned iPods for many years now and never needed to buy any music from the iTunes store. We had iTunes vouchers lying around here for months (that we got with the first iPods) before we even used them, and even then I only bought games.
Since the iPhones entered the house the only thing I have bought (that wasn't free) was the odd fantastic app. No need to buy music or audiobooks from iTunes. My music is my own and my audiobooks are from audible or other sites. Then of course there are the many hundreds of radio apps.
I'm pretty confident that I will be able to load my ebooks and video to my iTunes/iPad as easily as I have for my music and audiobooks.
I'm all FOR the iPad. I think it's marvelous .

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by fugazied

As I understand it you can load on all of your DRM free ebooks.

Source? Or is this an assumption?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Pardoz

Source? Or is this an assumption?

Apple have stated that all existing apps will run on the iPad, so that includes things like Stanza, which allows you to read DRM-free books.

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Another absurd thread title. The Kindle, Nook and Sony readers are by default tied to DRM and their company stores (Sony less than the others, but still....). The iPad will be no different. Of course Apple would prefer you buy everything from iTunes, but the consumer that wants to can always get around it. I have had iPods/iPhone over 4 years and have never bought even 1 mp3 from iTunes. I have bought a few apps (good value) but never any music.

Don't worry about a portable electronic device being bad for your "freedoms". Instead keep a close eye on your government.

And many of the readers mentioned have also been targetted by DefectiveByDesign, as have most DRM systems.

BTW, thread title is taken from the DefectiveByDesign page, not my own creation, but it's kinda catchy nevertheless...

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Apple have stated that all existing apps will run on the iPad, so that includes things like Stanza, which allows you to read DRM-free books.

They've also said that almost all existing apps will. I guess we'll find out which of these two statements is true in two months (or possibly sooner, depending on when they start processing/rejecting submissions for apps).

Currently I'm betting 60/40 against, based on the comments from publishers about Apple's book strategy (smaller slice, bigger pie) but ultimately I think it boils down to how seriously Apple takes the e-book market.

[orwell2k]

Originally Posted by Pardoz

They've also said that almost all existing apps will. I guess we'll find out which of these two statements is true in two months (or possibly sooner, depending on when they start processing/rejecting submissions for apps).

Currently I'm betting 60/40 against, based on the comments from publishers about Apple's book strategy (smaller slice, bigger pie) but ultimately I think it boils down to how seriously Apple takes the e-book market.

Not seriously. Or rather, they take the market aspect seriously ($$$), but not the reading aspect. I was hoping for (and still dream of) a dedicated Apple iReader or iBook.

With Apple's human/machine interface expertise, an Apple eInk device would have kick-ass controls (a real iPod wheel (not a look-alike as on Cool-ER) and touch screen capability), long battery life and paper-like book reading. They can throw in a few other functions, but reading would be the main task.

Some people want an all-in-one device like the iPhone or iPad - fair enough, the iPad may get the job done. But I want a quality book reader, and I was hoping Apple would eventually come to the party. Alas, no.

That's why I think Stevie and the boys take the eBook market seriously, incorporating the "ability" to read into the iPad and therefore hoping to sweep up some extra market $$$ if someone wants a book. But they take the music, video, surfing and gaming markets (and therefore functions) more seriously, and maybe in $$$ terms that's wise.

But I think they fail to understand the "act" or "art" of reading, or at least e-reading, since they still fail to have a "dedicated" reading device.

The one caveat is reading newspapers, magazines and journals - the iPad should be good for that, with glossy pages and a decent sized-screen, as well as potentially easy access to the reading material. But my snobbery forces me to draw a distinction between reading a newspaper or magazine, and reading a book...

Just my $0.02 worth... although it's probably about $0.04 worth by now...

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by orwell2k

But I think they fail to understand the "act" or "art" of reading, or at least e-reading, since they still fail to have a "dedicated" reading device.

oh I think they take it seriously and thats why they have created an app and will sell books.

I dont think they want because of the cost/profit in hardware terms of a dedicated reader to be in that product market. they do not want to be an Ebook seller and that is where kindle sony etc want to make the money so can justify produce and sell a dedicated reading device at a small or no profit.

[WillAdams]

Tallmomof2 wrote:
>I was really hoping for a tablet with the Mac OS.

That's already available and has been for a while now:

http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

William
(whose next machine will be a Modbook)

[TallMomof2]

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Tallmomof2 wrote:
>I was really hoping for a tablet with the Mac OS.

That's already available and has been for a while now:

http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

William
(whose next machine will be a Modbook)

Pretty! I'll definitely do some research into this. Thanks!

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by orwell2k

That's why I think Stevie and the boys take the eBook market seriously, incorporating the "ability" to read into the iPad and therefore hoping to sweep up some extra market $$$ if someone wants a book. But they take the music, video, surfing and gaming markets (and therefore functions) more seriously, and maybe in $$$ terms that's wise.

That was pretty much what I was driving at - if they just want to pocket some extra money from occasional or impulse purchases of e-books, I think we're almost certain to see competing apps available. If they want the whole meal and not just the scraps, why open the market to anybody else?

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by Pardoz

That was pretty much what I was driving at - if they just want to pocket some extra money from occasional or impulse purchases of e-books, I think we're almost certain to see competing apps available. If they want the whole meal and not just the scraps, why open the market to anybody else?

Apple does make money on content as well as hardware, but the margins in book publishing aren't high enough to fight over, I think. They see the market, and they'll offer an alternative, but I think in the long run Amazon will still sell lots of Kindle books (despite the DRM). The margins on videos are higher. That's the market Apple will really want to fight for.