Apple set to make customers pay (tech news)

[Rustle]

This is disgraceful,especially the way thing's are at a moment in the economic climate,i know its their product but it's the amount they are charging for a replacement set of ear phones that is wrong.


Apple may have finally wised up to the fact that no one likes DRM in its iTunes store, but it looks as though the trendy tech company still has some way to go when it comes to being over-protective of its hardware. The newly revamped iPod Shuffle reportedly doesn’t function properly with any headphones that aren’t made by Apple, as third party headphones now need to contain an Apple authentication chip to function with the small, 4GB flash device. According to iLounge, which has recently reviewed the new iPod Shuffle, the use of third-party headphones will result in the iPod Shuffle being stuck at one volume level, and you won’t be able to skip tracks or pause the player either.

The iPod Shuffle itself only has controls for switching off the machine and setting the playback mode to shuffle your tracks or play them in order. The rest of the usual control features are performed by a remote control on the headphones, but the need for a new authentication chip means that all current third-party iPod headphones with a remote control will not be able to control the device.  Worse still, says the site, no compatible third-party headphones or remote control adaptors have entered the manufacturing stage yet. Plus, Apple currently has no plans to make a remote control adaptor that functions with the Shuffle either. According to the site, the price of a compatible set of headphones currently starts at $49 US (£34.64). Of course, the need to include a new piece of silicon in the headphones will also push up the price of a third-party set of headphones too.

Source: Bit-tech

[flammableBen]

iPod Shuffles are the cheap ones aren't they? Is that not getting to the point where you might aswell buy a new one?

I thought the whole horrible iTunes "must control where music lives" software was enough of a reason not to get one.

[Rustle]

Yeah they are the cheap ones,most people tend to use them for jogging or when they go to the gym.I think the whole point is because you could use third party ones like a £4.99 pair it did't matter if you fucked them up,it was easy and cheap to replace,now like you say you either buy a new one or fork out for the right headphone's.

The youngster's like them to,how many parent's can keep forking out that kind of money.

[jayohaitchenn]

People are finally starting to notice the pox that is Apple then? Good.

[Simon Pieman]

I agree John. If people stop buying the ipod due to marketing and laziness in looking for an alternative then apple will soon stop all of this stuff.

I'm looking to get a new phone soon and it will be handy to have one that does a good job with mp3s. As good as the iphone is for this, I refuse to pay out for a phone and a contract when there are some really good alternatives out there.

[jayohaitchenn]

The iPhone advert cracks me up; Read the small print.

I think the thing I hate most about Apple, are it's religious zeolot fanboys. Absolute twattery at its finest.

[Colin Todd]

I dont know why anyone would get an ipod and subject themselves to apple deciding what you can and cant do with your own property.

like others have said there are plenty of decent alternatives out there.

and fanboys of any massive multi-national electronics company are mega-cocks.   xbox / PS3 zealots are just as bad.  ITS NOT LIKE SUPPORTING A FOOTBALL TEAM, THEY SELL YOU CONSUMER PRODUCTS

[Batch]

I like my nano. There I said it. Though I don't like I-tunes.

Screw buying something forcing you to use their own headphones. That is dumb ass in the extreme, Apple have shot themselves in the foot with that, particularly as the shuffle is low cost.

[Colin Todd]

the ipod device itself is great batch, its all the bollocks that that comes with it in the form of DRM and itunes.

[Jamiesfuturewife]

I like I tunes becuase I am thick and it is easy to use!

[axs]

My old mp3 player just worked essentially as a hard drive, drag and drop in explorer and it's all done.

[Barry Scott]

I forgot about Windows ReallyGood, i remember downloading that. RG is the best.

[axs]

I've waited a long time to see that paperclip die. good stuff.

[Rich Pullen]

I like I tunes becuase I am thick and it is easy to use!

That's the poster campaign right there

[jonny72]

Itunes is like Marmite - 50% of people love it, 50% of people hate it. It depends a bit on whether you use Mac OS or Windows though, its hard to beat on Mac OS (especially when you start using scripts) but can be a bit crap on Windows. I use it a lot and I've never found anything that comes close to it for my needs and I'm probably what you would call a power user.

Not sure they were trying to screw people over the headphones with the new shuffle. Most likely they just went too far with the design angle, without thinking about the effects of moving the controls from the shuffle itself.