Re: Apple Computer changes its name

[Roger Johnstone <roger@roger.geek.nz.removethisbit>]

In <eoad1b$ugt$1@merope.saaf.se> Paul Schlyter wrote:
> 
> .....but I could play LP's on an LP record player of any other brand.
> Different brands of LP players didn't use different "encodings".  And
> the LP player allows me to play 45 rpm EP records as well, and (a few
> decades ago) even 78 rpm shellac records (if I changed the needle on
> the pick.up).
> 
> However, in the earliest days of the vinyl record, things were
> different: there were 45 rpm EP records and 33 rpm LP records.  The
> two formats of vinyl records were competing, and almost always a
> record player could play either EP recods, or LP records, but not
> both.  Fortunately, this stupidity vanished a few years later, when
> record players capable of playing both EP and LP records appeared.
> 
> Today's situation, with portable digital players requiring different
> encoded formats of the digital files, reminds a bit of the situation
> in the earliest days of the vinyl record, when record players were
> unable to play both EP and LP records.

The media compatibility problem is a bit different this time as just 
about all players can play MP3. I believe even Sony has given up on 
their proprietary ATRAC encoding system and 'allows' their customers to 
use MP3 files now.

The real problem is that the big music publishers refuse to release 
their music without a copy protection system, but instead of agreeing on 
a single DRM system they left it up to others to implement them. So now 
we have Apple, Sony, Real, Microsoft (with two incompatible systems!) 
etc. each with their own DRM.

-- 
* Roger Johnstone, Invercargill, New Zealand -> http://roger.geek.nz
* PS/2 Mouse Adapter for vintage Apple II or Mac
* SCART RGB video cable for Apple IIGS