Hanslow

Because nobody has told them they should and it's not until it's too late that they realise they should have. I'd imagine a lot of owners would have trouble knowing how to back up files to media other than the hard disk on which it currently resides.

The Snug Rhino

really? if you can plug in an ipod and run itunes you would think you could plug in an external HD and run a back up at night!

Hanslow

How many people off the street have an external hard drive though, or backup software, or the nounce to do it manually? How many would know how to burn files to CD/DVD? An external hard drive may still fail as it has moving parts so may not be a good solution in its own right.

It's only recently that the 'PC' (includes Macs as well) has become more of an acceptable home piece of equipment, but I would imagine only a very small percentage backup any of their data.

It might not be the ability to plug in and backup the data that is the problem. It's more likely to be a problem with people not identifying a need to do it, until it's too late.

Markus

People are not backing up their music files in the much the same way they don't backup other, more possibly critical data, they assume that data loss will never happen to them. So they don't have any back regime in place, even if it's archiving the files to CD/DVD.

That's an interesting point too, I've got 40GB worth of music, now, if I was joe bloggs I'd work out how many CD's and DVD's I'd need to backup that lot on and realize it's a fair few and probably thing "sod this for a game of soldiers, I'll not bother". They'd probably not look into getting an external drive and plonking the data on there, which is what I do.

As for the subject of AAC and DRM. Yes it's true that no other media players will handle the AAC Protected files from iTMS. However, using iTunes itself you can burn them using the "audio cd" option to a cd, and then reimport them as unprotected AAC files, or, if the player you're going to does not support AAC then mp3.

If you don't want to use iTunes then there are other applications out there that should allow you to remove the DRM from the files.

If you disklike DRM then don't purchase from iTMS, there are other online stores out there (ignoring the questionable legality for the moment) to purchase music from in various formats (mp3, ogg, ACC, and others).

Luan Pra bang

Really ? No freezing up no battery chaning no harddrive failures, no problems at all ? How many years use exactly ?

Yes it is and I do know what I am talking about thanks

Itunes and ITMS are totally integrated hence why I treat them as 1 and the same thing. I was mentioning that for the price of a downloaded album on ITMS you could by an actual album in tesco's.

BTW I know many people who have had lots of problems with IPODS breaking alot which combined with my personal experiences makes me think that they are rubbish. No other product I have ever known has been as popular and yet as bad as IPODs and Itunes. That is my experience and that is what I base my knowledge on. You can defend it all you want just like sad brand fanatics always defend the product they have fallen in love with. There lots of problems with IPODS and any search on the internet will show pages of people trying to rectify their faulty product.

Luan Pra bang

My opinions are realilty, they really are my opinions. This is a discussion forum people share advice and experiences. In my experiences IPODS are crap.

I don't come on here to make friends I come on here to waste time have some fun and gather information fro the commuity. If someone posts a thread about IPODS why should I not volunteer an opinion ? Press Ignore If you don't like it ?
HTH

The Snug Rhino

fair point but this was the OP comment:

"I recently reformatted my laptop, and, obviously, had to install all my programs again"

he sounds like someone who should know what an external HD is!

my mum uses an external and backup software yet wouldnt know how to format a laptop!

OllyK

Windows comes with backup software unless you're using a really old version.

Chances of the HD in your PC and the external drive going down are slim.

I use 2 servers set with file replication, dead easy and resiliant too.

Hanslow

Olly, I wouldn't class you as a person that has bought a PC to firstly get on the internet and then get drawn into doing a bit of music downloading, ebaying, emailing, etc. Your typical person on the street is unlikely to even consider servers, backups, etc.

Chances of HD failure is low, I wouldn't use the term slim as that makes it highly unlikely. Unless you are saying that both going down about the same time is slim, in which case I would agree.

My version of Windows has backup software? I've never looked into it as I do it all manually. It's not exactly a promoted feature (is it?).

Get a clipboard and go and canvas people on the street if they have a computer, if they have, ask them how often they backup their machine's data and I would believe that a lot of people would first ask what you meant by backing up and then say that they don't.

Rhino, maybe the OP just had an oversight in thinking about backing data up, or maybe didn't want to spend the pennies on an external HD. All my important data is backed up to CD/DVD and floppies (yes I still use them ) and I have all the original media for the software on my machine so I know I can always recover and it's not business critical for my machine to be offline for the 2-3 hours it takes to completely reinstall everything from scratch.

I'm sure the OP would think more now about backing up of critical data, which is normally the case after much of it is lost.

The Snug Rhino

"Rhino, maybe the OP just had an oversight in thinking about backing data up, or maybe didn't want to spend the pennies on an external HD."

exactly...so he was either a bit daft or tight and a bit daft - either way, it is HIS fault the data is lost not apples/ipods.

take your clip board and ask the same folk who knows you SHOULD back up and i would say most will say they know....but dont, hence its tuff luck when they loose it.

Hanslow

Can't fault what you say, but it would probably have been nice for the software to pop up a dialog to let the user know what the autosync transaction was going to do, i.e. number of files added, number of files removed, etc. but I guess you can't cater for the whole range of ability/intellect out there as someone will still have issues.

I assume these tunes could still be downloaded for free if the user has already paid for them? Or is it also going to be a costly exercise for the OP?

stevencotton

Two iPods over three years that spend nearly 3 hours a day being listened to on the train and tube. Both still work perfectly, not a single issue or error. I haven't even had my rev 3 crash on me yet, which is surprising I think. Want to buy my old one?

No, you do not:

iTMS is no more part of iTunes than SN is part of your web browser. Access is integrated, and why shouldn't it be? It's the whole point!

iTunes was around two years before iTMS came about in April 2003. How can you even think they are the same thing? iTMS can even be accessed by Unix machines, although the legality is questionable, iTunes isn't available for Unix (outside of OS X) if you're not aware.

Do that then? Although it isn't really more expensive, 79p a track, most CDs that I buy (I work in Soho and spend lunchtimes in the record shops) cost me around 11/12 quid - it _is_ better to buy the CD in my opinion. I like to have the physical CD and encode at my rate, not Apple's. Nobody is making you use iTMS, nobody at all. You seem to think one MUST use iTMS, which is not the case. People use it because it's a convenient one-stop-shop for purchasing music. I prefer to buy the CD and rip it myself.

I'm aware of the problems but they are still a minority, and it happens with any and every product. You are entitled to and I respect your opinion, but you go off of your trolley and call people names when their opinion differs or your facts corrected.

Aren't you a Windows user?

I'm not defending it, I'm pointing out the flaws in your logic. If another product worked better for me, I'd use that, but for what I do and use, nothing beats it. The majority of people don't have problems. You are just as bad as the "sad brand fanatics" but with the opposite view, and you don't understand the technical aspects that you claim to.

CyprusScooby

Usual Apple sh*te eh!