Comments on: An Apple fanboy's lament

Macrovision's Richard Bullwinkle questions the longevity of his music collection in the digital age.

[halesgarcia]

What is a person with no option but Windows?

If a person chooses a Mac they're a fanboy. Then what is a
person with no option but Windows?

Isn't that the reality for 95% of computer users today? Blind
unthinking acceptance of Microsoft and Windows. Where's the
competition in that?

Why knock success in fair competition only to supplant it with a
monopoly?

[battlefella]

An incredible dose of propaganda

This really should have been labeled as a paid advertisement for Macrovision, one of the industry's prime drivers of DRM. How many Macrovision-protected games are going to befall the same fate that he is lamenting - discs without the ability to be backed up, resulting in eventual loss forever.

Apple have publicly stated a desire for DRM-free offerings from iTunes. Whether truly their desire or note, the bottom line is that DRM-free is the ONLY truly open and long-term standard. MP3 meets all of what he is asking for!

This sales pitch for Macrovision-fronted DRM technologies is very poorly disguised as an opinion piece...

[rcrusoe]

Will I be able to play the new content...?

Yes you will. No problem at all. The first thing I've always done
with audio from iTunes is to remove the DRM so I could stream my
music/audiobooks, etc. to my home stereo.

Of course, now that Apple is offering an increasing amount of drm
free content this is becoming less necessary.

[mpitogo]

yea how about playforsure errmm playforNOT

Fakefanboy likes to point that stuff out but what about the
playforsure content that was supposed to be "play for sure"!!!!???
Where will those guys turn to for content?

[ggrs34]

Not fanboy, Apple Sucker

Apple owns your arse, and you know it. A willing stupid slave, which is fine, except your blindness affects Macrovision - resign, stay at home and play with your apple toys to let a real company get on with real business for the other 95% of the planet.

[scweezil]

Hey Rocky watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!

Again?!?
This guy makes a living from selling DRM. Cnet sinks to a new low.
Nice try you weasel.
http://www.macrovision.com/products/1156.htm?link_id=topnav

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/15833/

[TheOstrander]

You can still take your music anywhere

Apple lets you burn tracks to cd, which you can then re-rip without drm. I'm sure jobs knows people do this, and therefore is cool with it. If it was up to him, i think he would sell his music without drm, and when the music idustry finally caves, he will.

[kelmon]

Disgraceful Article

There's not a whole lot to say here beyond that CNet's editorial
ethics are taking another beating through allowing an article
advocating DRM from a company that makes DRM by twisting
the truth. We don't need more DRM, we need less in order to
achieve the situation you desire. Apple would happily sell the
entire iTunes Store in DRM-free AAC format (i.e. iTunes Plus) if
the record companies came out of their ivory towers and allowed
it. That's what we want rather than some funky new DRM
scheme from Macrovision. Go away.

[shoopdog]

Amen

I think this so-called fanboy is just baiting all of us with this dim-
witted article.

[technewsjunkie]

Strongly disagree, not just "pretty"! Overall value and useability

It amazes me how LOW the bar has been set in computer
useability.

Programmers that have no contact with or empathy with average
users. Arcane, counter-intuitive software interfaces and ugly
misplaced buttons (Blackberry phone accept button disconnects
me regularly) enclosures.

I'm not a "Fanboy". Their products are NOT JUST "PRETTY".
Besides what's wrong with an extra-ordinary esthetic? We are
impressed partly because the other vendors are SO MISERABLEY
BAD in that regard. "One more thing", Dell has recently copied
Apple's "Prettiness" by offering colored/fancy computers - this
after Michael Dell mocked the original iMac's as "plastic
innovation". Dell has been on the rails lately. These weenies just
don't get it.

[acheron5]

How CNet turned me into an Apple "Fanboy"

If the definition of "fanboy" is someone who blindly loves a companies products I don't come anywhere near that definition when it comes to Apple products.

However, that isn't what "fanboy" means on this site. On this site "fanboy" is meant to describe anyone who uses any kind of Apple product and actually likes it. It is no where suggested that the product might actually be decent, unlike similar products on the market, and have an appealing design. Instead, the implication is that anyone who uses an Apple product doesn't do so because they are any good but because Cupertino has somehow aimed a mind control beam from one of Apple's corporate satellites directly into the mind of susceptible users.

That's probably not the case for the majority of Apple users. I'm sure there must be a subset of Apple users who share that special brand of irrationality displayed by certain game console types, but the majority of Apple users aren't "fans" any more than the majority of DOS users were ever "fans" of DOS. What does distinguish the majority of Apple users is that they actually like the products they are using. And if it were true that Apple users were fanboys than it would undoubtedly be the case that the Cube and AppleTV would have enjoyed more success than they have.

If there is any fanaticism it has been displayed by CNet. CNet has a special fixation with Apple which is unique among technology sites. There seems to be two sets of standards when it comes to reviewing products, one set for non-Apple products and another for Apple. This would be fine if these standards were internally consistent- They aren't. And it might be alright if the reviews were consistent with other tech sites- They aren't. It seems that any product created by Apple when filtered through CNet are automatically subject to demerits by the simple virtue of who created it.

It is these inconsistencies that lead to such tirades by Apple users. It is also the insulting and dismissive attitude that is taken by labelling users of products which actually work well and have both technical and aesthetic merits. I guess if CNet can't credibly write a bad review against an Apple product it has instead taken the strategy of attacking their users. This is a huge disservice to the community of users CNet presumably hopes to serve and has caused it to lose both its reputation and its credibility.

At least it's good for web hits. It's just sad to see this site have decayed so much since the days of Sophie Formica and Ryan Seacrest having gone from unbiased and interesting reporting to tabloid tactics in order to get attention.

[jimtravis]

You must be reading a different CNET

After reading your opinion about CNet's alleged bias against Apple products, I thought I must be reading a different CNet. All the Apple reviews I remember were very positive, almost gushy. I went back, and looked at the recent reviews. The Macbook was CNet's top holiday gift recommendation, and the recent Macbook Pro / iMac reviews were glowing, bordering on being written by Apple Marketing. If CNet does have a double standard, it is definitely in Apple's favor.

[billrosenblatt]

Macrovision does *not* sell DRM for music.

Let's get this straight once and for all, people: Macrovision is not in the music DRM business. They do sell DRM-like technologies for video. But not music. They got out of that business.

Still, it kind of makes me wonder what "standards" this guy is talking about, especially since Apple is advocating the use of DRM-free MP3s for music. What other "standard" could he be referring to? Or is this guy just ignernt??

[mectron]

Macrovision is one

of the most dangerous criminal organisation in the world today, along with The RIAA, MPAA and all other companies who insist on DRM while it have been proven 100% useless in all case and IS illegal in most country, but thanks to bribes most user arround the world have to put with macrovision pollution. Macrovision is a parasite that has no legal purpose of any kind. My 1st reflex when i install a software that use macrovision installer (defunct InstallShielf) is to toss the infected cd in the garbage and reformat my HD to make sure no rootkit or other maleware have been infecting my system.

DRM is the single most anti-consumers mesure ver created.

[Hoodgrown_Magazine]

CNET - THe National Enquirer of the Tech Industry...

Wow.. you guys will print anything to get people to talk and keep posting on the site so you can make that advertising money huh?

Like others... we've been able to see through the B.S. at this site. And it's not about being Apple fanboys.. it's just about reporting the unbiased truth whether it's about Microsoft, Apple, etc...

------------------------

music
CNET?s word of the day: disingenuous
Posted Dec. 19, ?07, 11:12 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Music

Some might call me an Apple fanboy, so naturally I wanted to check out what I might be lamenting. Richard Bullwinkle (moose and squirrel?) begins his piece like the beginning of an Appleholics Anonymous meeting.

"I?m an Apple fanboy. I love Apple products because they are sexy and cool. Oh, I recognize my behavior is sycophantic, but I love my Apple toys. I use them myself and give them as gifts. To date I have owned at least one of every iPod, several Mac computers, and yes, I carry an iPhone."

But once we?ve got this lead in, he starts on this rant about the DRM in iTunes being incompatible with devices other than iTunes (despite an already apparent shift across the industry away from DRM all together). I was expecting an argument for Windows Media DRM, but we all know better than that because there are several variants that don?t work even with all Windows Media DRM devices. Plus, there?s the fact that, you know, Microsoft has never brought it to Mac OS X.

Instead, he argues for standards, vague, unspecified standards. By the end, he?s waxing about a vinyl copy of Yellow Submarine. It left me very confused until I read the ?Biography? line (or if I?d paid attention to the description in the thumbnail photo).

Richard Bullwinkle is chief evangelist for Macrovision.

WTH? Since when did CNET lease out column space to advertisers? Once you know the source, then entire point of the column becomes crystal clear. ?Someone please buy Macrovision?s latest copy protection. It?s good for consumers, we swear!? He attacks Fairplay DRM in order to bolster his employer?s products.

Attention advertising departments: you can now buy columns from CNET to fill with your propaganda. Maybe they can use the extra cash to buy some integrity.

[djessop]

Hypocrisy = Macrovision

I am flabbergasted, to say the least, about this latest "Perspective" column at CNET. To allow Richard Bullwinkle to advertise his company and it's DRM products and disguise it as a call for "standards" is, well, almost perverted in it's nature.

He says that "They need to realize that "we" consumers don't want to repurchase our media for each new device that comes along." This is coming from a man whose job is to evangelize the DRM products of his company. Video tapes? They use copy protection schemes created by Macrovision. DVDs? Yeah, they are in there as well. Heck, they even have their technology licensed to Apple!!!

So what is this "Persepctives" note about? In reality it is to promote Macrovision's vision of a "transparent DRM" (created and controlled by Macrovision, or course) that the industry should adopt. This is not about the removal of DRM, but the introduction of a single DRM that all products *must* use. Fred Amoroso, president and CEO of Macrovision, tried this in an open letter to Steve Jobs in February and his evangelist, Richard Bullwinkle is taking up the call.

Shame on you, CNET, for taking this advertising without charging Macrovision for it, and shame on you Macrovision, for attempting to play on fanboys fears of losing access to their content.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Thinksecret.com forced to shut down

It seems the magic that Apple had has largely gone away.

Thinksecret.com has announced the lawsuit from Apple charging they had posted news from inside sources at Apple has been been settled. Amongst many demands which are not being disclosed at this time, the one that affects people is that the popular Macintosh support website will be shut down permanently.

The term 'Evil Empire' gets used a lot these days for Microsoft. Looks like they have more competition than just operating systems these days based on the actions of Apple to shut down a site that promotes their own products.

I would be curious to see what CNET's take is on this situation. Would CNET be willing to be shut down if Apple sues them for reporting information that Apple doesn't want made public? Is it right for the software company to control what the public sees or hears?

Curious...

[drfrost]

Jobs is ethically no better than Gates

Having read about some of Steve's actions as CEO's of Apple, Next, etc... I have to say I find him as ethically challenged as Gates.

Apple has always been an overly litigous company... it's one of the issues that's bothered me about them. It's why so many open software developers refused to write anything for their platform...

[BlackMicro]

Good luck

"Apple sues them for reporting information that Apple doesn't want
made public?"

Do you actually think c|net might be able to come up with accurate
information? I don't! At least thinksecret was leaking real
information.

[ruoppster]

Reading isnt Understanding...I guess

If you understood what happened and read AND UNDERSTOOD what was written then you would have realized that Apple didnt force ThinkSecret.com to shut down. They were given an out of court offer from Apple and accepted it. Ruffly they agreed to stop publishing and shut down for money (and lots of it) and not having to tell Apple who their informants were. This offer was proposed by Apple and they accepted - and it was because Apple didnt think they were likely to win the case in court that they offered ThinkSecret this offer. If you want to be pissed off at anyone be pissed off at ThinkSecret for selling out for a big paycheck.

[Ian Joyner]

Patronizing

I hate this patronizing term fanboy. It implies some blind follower
who has not considered the wide range of things out there. Well
consider the alternatives ? fairly lacklustre hardware running XP or
Vista. No people are rightly Apple enthusiasts for good reasons.
"Fanboy" is just the bigoted label thrown around by Microsoft
junkies when they know they are losing.

[DaiMac]

cNet, stop insulting us...

This is just patronizing in the worst way, first the Music exec a
month or so ago trying to tell us about how sinister soccer mom
sharing a couple albums was and how the fines are justified,
now this crap? You're so close to getting taken off my RSS list at
this point, its not even funny. You only remain so far because
one has to check on the propaganda outlets occasionally,
closing or ignoring them just sends it underground.

Of course, why we would expect anything other than corporate
mouthpieces from the same "journalism" outlet that hosts
GameSpot, that would be the real question I suppose.

[dahlenu]

Apple not the worst

It's sad that there is such a thing as DRM. But Apple's
implementation of DRM is fairly permissive. Microsoft's DRM is
much worse. In any case, if you want total portability, buy non-
DRM songs (from iTunes or elsewhere) or buy CDs and rip them.

[kojacked]

Microsoft not the worst

It's sad that there is such a thing as DRM. But Microsoft's implementation of DRM is fairly permissive. Apple's DRM is much worse. In any case, if you want total portability, buy non-
DRM songs (from iTunes or elsewhere) or buy CDs and rip them.

More baseless comments after a word from our sponcers...

[unknown unknown]

In other word Macrovision is mad cause Apple didn't license their DRM

Of course a lot of Macrovision's DRM is just hackery that exploit the way certain devices work. Like sticking flaws on CDs to stop ripping like SafeDisc (which is cracked 8 ways from tuesday). Though the effectiveness is often dependant on the working of given device. Not exactly robust solutions.

[PB G4]

The Yellow Sub Comment Seemed To Overstate Things

The lament about lack of open standards is not really an iPod
lament as much as it is an iTunes lament - at least as far as the
DRM files go. In fact you can put that old, valuable Beatles
record right onto your iPod. Or... CDs... or any other non-
protected music that you buy and drag and drop into iTunes.
Thank goodness for the 160 GB versions for those of use who
don't even like compression of CD audio files. I don't understand
why the author draws the conclusion, or seems to anyway, that
he must buy iTunes ACC tracks for his music if he's an iPod user.

[DarkHawke]

Ironic words from a DRM "evangelist"!

Standards in the computer world and particularly in relation to media played by computers and like devices (e.g. iPods) are all well and good, and if Apple was open to other codecs like Ogg, I might have an iPod today. But the cheek involved in having the chief "evangelist" (read: pusher) for a company famous for DRM "solutions" that have done nothing but impede personal, non-commercial use of purchased media, trying to get Apple to observe standards that would ALLOW greater personal, non-commercial use of purchased media, is so far beyond the proverbial pale as to be jet black!

In other words, give us an effin' break, Mr. DRM Fanboy! When you stop "evangelizing" media companies into using your firm's DRM, then we'll start giving a damn about your so-called lament!