Nursultan Tuleiakbay's Clock-Radio Fetish

Looks like Apple Computers is going to build some kind of DRM bullshit directly into the new OS X kernel for Intel processors.

Now, here's my take on that, in a nutshell: I can't stand ANY form of DRM. Period. I use iTunes exclusively to play mp3s, because I really like its simplicity and effectiness...but I've only ever bought four songs from the iTunes Store--one of them the Beck song I'm currently listening to (they were iTunes exclusives, alas). I, of course, re-encoded them seconds after downloading them to strip the DRM shit out of them, and never bought another song from that service.

The thing is, as many of you know, I really like post-2000 Mac machines and software--not as much as siliconedreamer or Cory Doctorow, but they're really cool and generally work extremely well. In fact, I was pretty excited when I heard Apple was switching to Intel processors because, well, as much as I like Apple hardware, I'm not a big fan of proprietary hardware, which always sort of wrecked the PowerPC core for me. Anyway, that's irrelevant now. Now it seems that Apple is writing DRM functions directly into the OS kernel designed for Intel processors. Yet another reason I say to Apple Computer, "You and Steve Jobs can go fuck yourselves."

Gods know I'm not a GPL freak like many--I have no problem using software that saves data in proprietary formats (such as, for instance, Microsoft Office...although, to be honest, the .doc format has by now become so well-known and -supported by even non-MS apps that it might as well be declared open-source), although I naturally prefer open-source data formats for universal interoperability reasons. Adding some fucking DRM scheme to that equation, however, is a deal-breaker: I am not ABOUT to chain my data to a certain chipset ID or a particular machine or installation of software. That shit can flatout blow me.

Yet another reason I can't stand Apple Computers (the company, not the hardware). I still want, say, a Mac Mini so I can run Mac-only audio software, but I'll probably grab one fairly soon rather than wait for the Intel switchover in order to avoid this DRM shit. Which, mind you, will probably end up being cracked anyway, but still...one less hassle I can avoid.

Don't think I won't say the exact same thing about Microsoft or ANYone else who pulls this DRM bull, either. I recall a while back MS was planning some kind of monitor-based DRM scheme, which of course earned them a big ol' Mister Rogers Middle Finger, as well. But it seems they have backed down from that...and, hell, anything MS writes into their OS can be cracked thirteen seconds after it's released, anyway.