oneof3steves's Profile

I'm kind of surprised that Amarok hasn't come up in this discussion. In my opinion even if Apple released iTunes for linux it wouldn't gain much popularity because Amarok is the one desktop application in linux that is miles ahead of the alternatives for Windows and Mac. It works great with my ipod, which has never touched iTunes. The only feature of iTunes that in Amarok doesn't have or have better than is the store, and for me I can't see myself ever using it as I think purchasing DRM encumbered music is kind of stupid. I'd rather buy the cd new or used than pay for a crippled copy of it. I like Macs a lot I bought one for my sister. I love my ipod and will buy another when I need to. I think each can be better for different people, but my basic framing of the debate is this: For microsoft and to a lesser extent Apple the trend lately has been to write software that rather than having the desires/needs of the users as a priority, have the fears of corporations. iTunes is a great example of this with the ridiculous DRM and the weird difficulty when it comes to copying YOUR music off of YOUR ipod onto YOUR computer. These are not features for the users, they're annoyances. With linux things may not be as polished, but I know that the software is written not with the fears of the RIAA in mind, but with my wants and needs. That said Linux does have a learning curve partially because it presents its users with so many options, and partially because it progresses quickly and a lack of periodic tested releases. So I use linux and I buy my sister a Mac and everyone is happy. To each their own. s.