Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?

I suppose I have a very specific issue, but I feel it may not be unique.

I have an iTunes account to purchase music from iTunes, and I have
purchased much music.

But, not only is Vista crapola for my 64 bit system ... I have to work
in a LAMP environment to design the code I'm currently writing for my
current clients.

I like to jam out when I code.

I've installed every codec known to man on my openSUSE system, and I
still cannot play protected AAC's... which, I am told, is currently very
impossible on Linux systems.

My question is why?

Why is it still impossible?

My only thoughts on this are that the reasons are fiduciary : Linux is,
in Apple's eyes, in direct competition with the Mac as an alternative to
Windows. ... yet they also support Windows.

That's an interesting marketing strategy... but how can I get the
message to Apple that I need to use another OS that they do not support
to make my own ends meet and put butter on my bread?

I don't have an iPod. I have a phone with iPod support, but what if I
don't want to waste my phone's battery like that? What if I want to
plug in my Bluetooth stereo headphones and listen to the music from the
PC?

Apple vs. Windows. It's almost like democrats vs. republicans. ... it
makes no sense, it's not worth it, and they both lead to the same ****ty
things.

Eh ... I think I give up on iTunes.

I'll burn what songs I have onto CD, then rip them back to MP3 (a nice
and tedious process considering the amount of music I've purchased).

Then I will close my account with Apple iTunes, I'll say "see ya later"
and I'll join Rhapsody, or some other competitor's music service.

And I will say to Apple : congratulations ... you've just lost a customer.

.... and the lower echelon suits will conclude that it's an acceptable
loss ...

.... to which I will always reply : that's why you're still a
lower-echelon suit.

.... a marketing VP would never see the loss of a customer as acceptable.

"Nathan Moschkin" <ironywrit@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:8PM1k.14788$b_.3329@trnddc02...
> Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support Linux
> operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?

Apple need to satisfy the copyright requirements of the music suppliers.
They have to use DRM to do it (at reasonable costs).
Linux DRM doesn't exist.
Therefore iTunes doesn't work on linux.
QED.

Its the same for many media players like the BBC iPlayer.

I can't see an easy solution, an OSS DRM product just wouldn't work.
If someone wrote a proprietary DRM solution for linux, someone else would
circumvent it.
The music industry isn't likely to start giving its stuff away any time
soon.

"Nathan Moschkin" <ironywrit@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:hlN1k.14789$b_.5599@trnddc02...
> Eh ... I think I give up on iTunes.
>
> I'll burn what songs I have onto CD, then rip them back to MP3 (a nice and
> tedious process considering the amount of music I've purchased).
>
> Then I will close my account with Apple iTunes, I'll say "see ya later"
> and I'll join Rhapsody,

"System Requirements:

Windows Vista, XP, or 2000 (Only 32-bit versions of Windows are supported
at this time.)
Not available for Mac or Linux
"

> or some other competitor's music service.

Let us know if you find a legal one that lets you download unprotected
content.

On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:44:04 +0000, Nathan Moschkin wrote:

> Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
> Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?

Unless there's someone here from Apple, probably not.

However, I can assure you that it is perfectly possible to live a
fulfilling and happy life, and to listen to music pretty much the entire
day, without ever having to touch an Apple product.

On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:20:29 +0000, Nathan Moschkin wrote:

> Eh ... I think I give up on iTunes.
>
> I'll burn what songs I have onto CD, then rip them back to MP3 (a nice
> and tedious process considering the amount of music I've purchased).
>
> Then I will close my account with Apple iTunes, I'll say "see ya later"
> and I'll join Rhapsody, or some other competitor's music service.

Whut-evah...



--
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me".
Now filtering out all posts originating from Google Groups.
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org

On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:44:04 +0000, Nathan Moschkin wrote:

> Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
> Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?

Closed source hardware and closed source software. Linux is neither.

>

Nathan Moschkin <ironywrit@verizon.net> writes:

>Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
>Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?

>I suppose I have a very specific issue, but I feel it may not be unique.

I am sure that their reasons are not unique. It may be that because Linux
is opensource they do not want their protection scheme to become open
source.


>I have an iTunes account to purchase music from iTunes, and I have
>purchased much music.

>But, not only is Vista crapola for my 64 bit system ... I have to work
>in a LAMP environment to design the code I'm currently writing for my
>current clients.

>I like to jam out when I code.

>I've installed every codec known to man on my openSUSE system, and I
>still cannot play protected AAC's... which, I am told, is currently very
>impossible on Linux systems.

>My question is why?

>Why is it still impossible?

Ask Apple. They are the ones with the answer.


>My only thoughts on this are that the reasons are fiduciary : Linux is,
You mean financial?

>in Apple's eyes, in direct competition with the Mac as an alternative to
>Windows. ... yet they also support Windows.

>That's an interesting marketing strategy... but how can I get the
>message to Apple that I need to use another OS that they do not support
>to make my own ends meet and put butter on my bread?

I am sure they have received the message. Just because someone hears you
does not mean they have to act on your message.
And listening to itunes does not "make my own ends meet and put butter on
my bread"



>I don't have an iPod. I have a phone with iPod support, but what if I
>don't want to waste my phone's battery like that? What if I want to
>plug in my Bluetooth stereo headphones and listen to the music from the
>PC?


>Apple vs. Windows. It's almost like democrats vs. republicans. ... it
>makes no sense, it's not worth it, and they both lead to the same ****ty
>things.

I am sure that will make Apple anxious to acceed to your desires.

Thanks for all your feedback, guys.

Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> writes:

> Nathan Moschkin <ironywrit@verizon.net> writes:
>
>>Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
>>Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?
>
>>I suppose I have a very specific issue, but I feel it may not be unique.
>
> I am sure that their reasons are not unique. It may be that because Linux
> is opensource they do not want their protection scheme to become open
> source.
In fairness, I believe that Steve Jobs once publicly proposed this to
the media-company "content owners" and they declined his offer to make
iTunes' DRM open-source.

--
Allan

On 06/05/2008 06:40 PM, Allan wrote:
> Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> writes:
>
>> Nathan Moschkin <ironywrit@verizon.net> writes:
>>
>>> Does anyone here know the real reason that Apple refuses to support
>>> Linux operating systems for their iTunes software and purchases?
>>> I suppose I have a very specific issue, but I feel it may not be unique.
>> I am sure that their reasons are not unique. It may be that because Linux
>> is opensource they do not want their protection scheme to become open
>> source.
> In fairness, I believe that Steve Jobs once publicly proposed this to
> the media-company "content owners" and they declined his offer to make
> iTunes' DRM open-source.
>

Jobs wrote an open letter concerning this topic:

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/

--
Doug

On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:44:04 GMT, Nathan Moschkin
<ironywrit@verizon.net> wrote:

>Apple vs. Windows. It's almost like democrats vs. republicans. ... it
>makes no sense, it's not worth it, and they both lead to the same ****ty
>things.

You mean that if I install Linux, I'll have to cancel my membership to
BOTH the Democrat and the Republican parties? :)

Nathan Moschkin wrote:
> Eh ... I think I give up on iTunes.
>
> I'll burn what songs I have onto CD, then rip them back to MP3 (a nice
> and tedious process considering the amount of music I've purchased).
>
> Then I will close my account with Apple iTunes, I'll say "see ya later"
> and I'll join Rhapsody, or some other competitor's music service.
>
> And I will say to Apple : congratulations ... you've just lost a customer.
>
> ... and the lower echelon suits will conclude that it's an acceptable
> loss ...
>
> ... to which I will always reply : that's why you're still a
> lower-echelon suit.
>
> ... a marketing VP would never see the loss of a customer as acceptable.
>

congratulations to apple: I will never use iPod unless you make iTunes
support either 64-bit Windows or Linux

Feverishly pounding upon a keyboard joeaverage@invalid.com typed:
> On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:44:04 GMT, Nathan Moschkin
> <ironywrit@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>>Apple vs. Windows. It's almost like democrats vs. republicans. ... it
>>makes no sense, it's not worth it, and they both lead to the same ****ty
>>things.
>
> You mean that if I install Linux, I'll have to cancel my membership to
> BOTH the Democrat and the Republican parties? :)

I did! They are one and the same nowadays.
--
sk8r-365
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must
be?
-- Matthew 26:54

On Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:55:58 -0500, sk8r-365 wrote:

> Feverishly pounding upon a keyboard joeaverage@invalid.com typed:
>> On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:44:04 GMT, Nathan Moschkin
>> <ironywrit@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>>Apple vs. Windows. It's almost like democrats vs. republicans. ... it
>>>makes no sense, it's not worth it, and they both lead to the same
>>>****ty things.
>>
>> You mean that if I install Linux, I'll have to cancel my membership to
>> BOTH the Democrat and the Republican parties?
>
> I did! They are one and the same nowadays.

A basic rule of thumb is that if you can't tell the difference between
the parties or candidates, don't vote.

If anyone can explain the difference between Apple's and Microsoft's
plans to dominate the world and force us all to use their stuff in
perpetuity, it would at least be interesting to know that difference.

Are we off-topic yet?