So where can music be downloaded in Canada

[Bonam]

Not everybody....teenagers smash iPad with hi tech baseball bat:

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/05/ipad-finally-purchased-teenagers-start-destroying/?test=latestnews

Nice, looks fun.

[GostHacked]

itunes is good no matter what. You an do pretty much anything you want with the music after you download it.

Not exactly. In most cases most of what you download is bound to a certain device like a single iPod. So you can't share it with anyone else. Your files are unplayable on another iPod. The good thing is iTunes will let you redownload all your music again (you already paid for it) if you lost it all, or the iPod crapped out. I use iTunes myself to rip all my CDs (yes I still buy CDs) to my network drive.

Fact is, if companies want people to buy from them, it has to be MORE convenient and EASIER to use the stuff they provide than what you can get for free. They are really shooting themselves in the foot with DRM, because people who would have no problem paying for things may have lots of problems with DRM. For me, the service I was looking for (to get audio books in standard sound file format) simply wasn't available commercially but could only be obtained "illegally".

You can also look at the DRM fiasco with computer games. I buy all my games now (used to use hacked copies) and I tell you I have more problems with the DRM on the games than the game itself. It's a real frustration to people who actually buy the games. The one way around it is how Steam and vALVE use digital distribution to have some kind of DRM (you need to login to your account to play the games, and even if you are offline there is the offline mode option so you can still play your games if you wanted to without a net connection).

And they are making it harder and harder with more DRM for the legit end user who bought the service/product. I am savvy with the computer so I have been able to fix some of these DRM issues with legit games I bought. But most would not know how to go a bout it. Record companies simply were not prepared and did not have enough foresight with the digital age. They are stuck in an old school business model which is antiquated, they can't evolve their business to match the new market. They don't understand it so this is why DRM exists. Yes piracy is a concern, but it was a concern before the Internet. Blank tapes.

Frankly, that is not my problem. Those who really want to do some illegal distribution can easily spend a few hours to figure out how to hack the files. If a company doesn't offer me something that is convenient enough for me to use, I am not gonna purchase stuff from them.

Agreed, money talks, and if they are not getting money, then they need to rethink things.

You may not have a problem with it, but I do. You have to downloaded proprietary software from almost each company whose DRM'd files you use, which causes bloating. The files themselves are larger due to the DRM content. You often cannot easily transfer the files between devices that you own. These are serious convenience issues, and they make the PAID PRODUCTS WORSE THAN WHAT YOU CAN GET FOR FREE.

I don't know how much more clearly I could explain it.

iTunes is a perfect example of what you are talking about here. I have more freedom with a purchased CD than I do with a single DRM'd song file from the iTunes store.

Competition from thieves often results in the opposite effect....more "security".

Not understanding the new way of doing business is going to hurt them in the long run as well. Piracy was an issue before the Internet. But the Internet does make piracy easier and faster.

Then you will no longer be a customer, but like I said, they have already crunched the numbers for their continued bread and butter.

Yup some other sucker can buy their crap and get frustrated with it.

I guess...I don't ever think about "DRM" when I buy a media/game product. You just pays your money and use as intended without much fuss. If it's defective they will exchange for another (no refund). I can't say that for the pirated bootlegs sold on eBay!

I think about it all the time when I purchase a computer game from the retail store. I should have read it more but the latest Command and Conquer (CNC4) requires a persistent Internet connection. Your connection craps out, you loose the round you were playing and all of your progress to that point. I love the CNC universe, but I won't be playing this game again, and I tell others not to buy it as well, simply because of that.

Mind you Internet connections are stable to the point where this is not much of an issue, but at least give me an offline option mode to play the single player campaigns. I should not be required to be 'online' to play by myself.

You may be surprised how many people do indeed think about DRM and dislike it. The internet is filled with forums, blogs, etc, on the topic.

DRM is talked about every day over at a gaming website forum I visit daily.

For what?

I bought blank cds yesterday. The only tax that shows up is GST and PST. I'll scan my receipt if you'd like to see it. Subsidies are different from taxes. Taxes go to government, subsidies go to particular industries.

Aside from that, just because blank cds carry a subsidy, doesn't give anybody the right to steal music, as DrGreenthumb seemed to imply.

What part of HIDDEN TAX don't you understand? At least you are consistent.

And the beat goes on....

Part of the uphill battle comes down to content -- because what many American users might find appealing about the iPad may be exactly what Canadian users won't be able to see.

Deloitte technology analyst Duncan Stewart said one of the biggest setbacks Canadian users might find at the outset may already be a familiar pet peeve on the Internet. [/indent][/i]

So we essentially get a different product for Canada than the US. Some services and software are not available to Canadian customers who bought the iPad. Macs have always been a niche market, with the exceptions of the iPod and iPhone. I don't see the iPad going the distance like the pod and phone. Mac lovers will eat this up no matter how it performs and the services offered.

[GostHacked]

I would love to get a service for rare old electronic music. In many cases you have to pirate stuff, because it's not available in stores anymore, and no one sells it online. So in many cases I have no other option but to go to P2P or usenet.

Also, my music is free to download and there is no DRM. It's for the love of the music and as a hobby. I might make it big one day, but in the mean time I have a full time job that pays pretty darn good.

As an artist I want total control over my music. Many artists are now finding online venues to promote and sell their music without needing the record label's resources which can mean less money for the artist. If the CD flops the artist will not make any money and the record company will take in all sales to cover the costs of production/distribution.

I know a couple people who have done a CD and released it online through their own website (login plus paypal ect) and they have even listed their music with Amazon.com for digital download. The artist needs to be in control of their product and you see that kind of thing happening more and more.

All this DRM talk is about simply because the record companies are not making the huge profits off artists they used to make.

Edited April 6, 2010 by GostHacked

[bush_cheney2004]

.....So we essentially get a different product for Canada than the US. Some services and software are not available to Canadian customers who bought the iPad. Macs have always been a niche market, with the exceptions of the iPod and iPhone. I don't see the iPad going the distance like the pod and phone. Mac lovers will eat this up no matter how it performs and the services offered.

I don't think this is really new, but expectations will have to be lowered compared to the TV ad hype in Canada. When Macs and Lisas shipped in the mid 80's, I am sure that Canada got stiffed too...there use to be even worse export licence rules for "foreign" markets. Maybe things were better with the earlier IIe's and IIg's!

PC Games have always had the potential to be a major pain in the ass even without DRM, from video card compatibility to drivers to DirectX issues to any number of other things. Network gaming on a server just ups the ante.

[GostHacked]

I don't think this is really new, but expectations will have to be lowered compared to the TV ad hype in Canada. When Macs and Lisas shipped in the mid 80's, I am sure that Canada got stiffed too...there use to be even worse export licence rules for "foreign" markets. Maybe things were better with the earlier IIe's and IIg's!

Interesting to note to is that the iPad is not for sale anywhere in Canada as of this time. Many people have gone to the US to buy this thing. Functionality may not be there when it's brought across the border. And in this day and age where the internet interconnects us all for the most part, country restrictions on a device is just retarded. This is why the Blackberry is successful in many markets at the same time. Mac still needs to learn a few things. Proprietary devices on this large scale are business killers.

Do I need a Mac computer in order to use the iPad ??? If so, then that's a no go for me.

PC Games have always had the potential to be a major pain in the ass even without DRM, from video card compatibility to drivers to DirectX issues to any number of other things. Network gaming on a server just ups the ante.

Some of those things are still true, and software like drivers will always be updated. But now more than not DRM is the cause of many PC gamers headaches. Network and online gaming are easier than ever now and you will rarely find these issues. And DirectX has been great for many many years now.

Information and devices need to be international now. Or you end up with a neutered device/product/service that you are paying full price as those in another country who get all the bells and whistles.