Audio Books Moving Away from DRM

[thejadedmonkey]

As a result, Random House's Madeline McIntosh said, "Our feeling is that D.R.M. is not actually doing anything to prevent piracy".

Finally, someone gets it!

 

[GQB]

DRM on audio books is the most asinine idea I've ever heard. If there's one area where the audio quality doesn't really matter (and thus you can always capture/record/recompress the decompressed audio, it would be audio books. Honestly, what the hell were those people thinking?

Particularly since print has been DRM-free for, oh, EVER.
Can you imagine how well books or newspapers would have flourished if readers were required to wear, say, encoding glasses so that only they could read the print.
La plus ca change...

 

[Duncan-Idaho]

SJ article link

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/01/steve-jobs-peop.html

Apple's obviously researched the book market cause he's able to pull these figures off the top of his head.

Apple's COO, Timothy Cook on new product lines- "for everything we do, we know me make a choice not to do something else."

Do you think they're gonna devote tons of $ and R&D into a Kindle-like device when they can make more money elsewhere?

 

[milo]

Particularly since print has been DRM-free for, oh, EVER.
Can you imagine how well books or newspapers would have flourished if readers were required to wear, say, encoding glasses so that only they could read the print.
La plus ca change...

While I support audio books without DRM, that's kind of a stupid comparison since digital files can be copied effortlessly while copying a book requires actually copying it page by page. It takes a considerable amount of time and materials, and arguably is cheaper (assuming your time has a monetary value) to just buy it.

Paper books have never had DRM because they don't need it.

 

[Tosser]

Again, being serious...do you think there is a big enough market for it? People who will hold an electronic device in front of them for hours on end straining to read a monochrome book on screen? Why not just get the audio book?

Look up E-Ink. Nothing there to strain your eyes.

 

[Wolfpup]

I still doubt it's as good as looking at a book though-or a nice LCD screen for that matter. But to be fair I've never used one (nor will I as long as they have DRM and you can't rent books).

I've checked out some ebooks for my Palm from the library before though.

 

[Tosser]

I still doubt it's as good as looking at a book though-or a nice LCD screen for that matter. But to be fair I've never used one (nor will I as long as they have DRM and you can't rent books).

It's much better than a LCD (for reading, that is). Very close to the real thing.

I've checked out some ebooks for my Palm from the library before though.

Yup, but that's an LCD-screen. E-ink is a whole 'nother deal.

Anyway, now that DRM won't be there anymore, how about they made some better books quality wise: Better microphones, higher sample and bit rates when recording, and first then, after the editing, exporting it to a lossy format. Oh, and at least 64kbps. Preferably 128kbps/mono.
I can't stand listening to a voice that sounds like he has metal tassles around his mouth or are talking through a pipe.

 

[twoodcc]

well maybe they are right, but i just don't see it

 

[redrabbit]

I still doubt it's as good as looking at a book though-or a nice LCD screen for that matter. But to be fair I've never used one (nor will I as long as they have DRM and you can't rent books).

I've checked out some ebooks for my Palm from the library before though.

well, why don't you try it before you knock it

it's very easy to forget you're reading an electronic device with the Kindle. I'm reading so much more with it, a couple books a week now

also, e ink uses much less battery. i charge my kindle once a week and it's fine.

 

[ionut20]

i own one too.it's very useful