[wiley @ May 2nd 2006 9:24AM]

This is a major loss for consumers, and a shame that when someone finally had the courage to stand up, they have cowered over so easily. I�m not even going to go into how it shows that big business is controlling government, and not vice-versa.

To say the least you apple fanboys are now the lowest of all society. Your willing to lose a basic freedom, a right you are entitled if buying offline, and basically be screwed onto one system for life just because its apple. WOW that is bad. Don�t get me wrong, I know that its not only apple that does this drm on download music, but just like we see in the first comment, it seems you apple fans, are willing to give up a right you should be entitled to, and seem so fantastically pleased.

Infact this whole thing is crazy.
M$ is said to be monopolising the music software business, when they gave you a completely free software to use when you get your computer to whatch films and music. They don�t charge you nor force you into to use this system for the rest of your life. They still allow you to go, buy or download any other software you want, and you can still uninstall the thing if it bothers you that much. However they were given a �1billion fine.

However apple, is making it that once you buy music from their online store, you will ONLY be able to play music on their software and their music player. They are making it that the drm forces you onto their player only. They are unwilling to license their fairplay (not sure of name) scheme to other companies, making it clear their only reason for this is so they can keep their monopoly. They have continuously put in new security measures to stop schemes like JHYMN, which are now useless. Funny, because jhymn whole goal was buying music FROM itunes and simply making it work on other players, other than iPod. As well as that it locks you onto apple forever, just imagine you can never do anything with tracks just cause you bought from itunes���. You still bought the music, and paid for it, but that wasn�t good enough for apple cause it means they don�t buy their players. SO to me if that�s worth a billion pound fine well this�����..

Please don�t start this whole burn to cd and re rip thing, its wasteful of non cd-rw, its also has the tracks quality worse than it already is. Besides, it�s unfair, and once again unnecessary, because ive already paid for the music

This is why I can�t wait for the ipod craze to wear off, because we all know people aint buying ipods for its features, lol, lets not start their����.
Once it starts to fall down and someone else makes a player that has the style that competes with apple, well see the harsh back raw against apples DRM, and hopefully jhym will be up and running again.

But seriously apple fanboys, you can love your company as much as you want, but please don�t sacrifice basic rights, just cause its apple, remember your still a consumer and don�t think that because 2day itunes seems great don�t mean 2moro it will. Besides of all the things ive seen, I can�t believe that enlightened engadget readers, who know all about technology and where its leading, would be all for DRM, because let me say this, once you say its okay here�companies will say it�s a success and consumers don�t mind, and lets put it on EVRYTHING. Be wise and rebel when DRM is not at the stage of complete control, because before you know it the stuff of Sony�s rootkit will be normal.

Until DRM is at least an acceptable stage, (only restricts the Amount of computers, or even music players you share the music with) ill keep my torrents and my file sharing thank you.