My toy is part of a global conspiracy
Nov. 17th, 2002 12:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pseydtonneA fortnight ago I decided to indulge my obsession for audio recording devices. I can't help it -- I cut my finger with my dad's cassette tape splicer when I was a year old; I still have the scar, and I still have recording in my blood. I bought a portable MiniDisc (MD) recorder and a nice microphone for it.
What sold me on this specific deck was that it had a USB port. I inferred that the inclusion of the port, the wire for it and a CD-ROM of software would allow me to upload stuff I recorded on the deck directly to my PC. Instead, it only allows you to download crap you already have on your PC to the MD. The manufacturer of the MD deck must be under the delusion that someone would shell out $230 for a tiny Walkman when one could by a CD burner for half the price.
I should note that this manufacturer, who shall remain nameless, also owns a record company or two. Perhaps this corp is worried about piracy. Schmucks.
So I went hunting for software that would allow me to get beyond this issue. I figured someone would have hacked this kind of anti-piracy silliness by now. Instead, I found a petition signed by 2000 people asking the manufacturer to include MD uploading, as it would be a boon to their sales and such ans a mere software tweak. The corp's response was polite but came down to "it's not in our plans, even though consumers want it. Maybe one day."
So I own a high-quality, random-access recording deck. I can babble all night. I can dub vinyl so that I can hear old albums in the car or such. I can copy those files onto my hard drive the same way I'd copy an FM broadcast or an audio cassette.
I can't help thinking that this kind of manipulation of consumers by corporations disproves the power of the buyer. I buy something, but my desired use for it is somehow a threat to global corporate prowess. Built to be obsolete in the shrink-wrap.
I like the MD recorder a lot! I can babble, mark points in the babble, then delete sections, shuffle others, and then it will heal the edits on the fly. This is a fabulous piece of technology. If someone could help me observe packet traffic on its USB wire, I may be able to make it even more useful. Not that I would dream of subverting the whims of a company that ripped me off before when it came to video recording formats.
-press eject gimme the shock-resistant colorful disc, Ps/d
What sold me on this specific deck was that it had a USB port. I inferred that the inclusion of the port, the wire for it and a CD-ROM of software would allow me to upload stuff I recorded on the deck directly to my PC. Instead, it only allows you to download crap you already have on your PC to the MD. The manufacturer of the MD deck must be under the delusion that someone would shell out $230 for a tiny Walkman when one could by a CD burner for half the price.
I should note that this manufacturer, who shall remain nameless, also owns a record company or two. Perhaps this corp is worried about piracy. Schmucks.
So I went hunting for software that would allow me to get beyond this issue. I figured someone would have hacked this kind of anti-piracy silliness by now. Instead, I found a petition signed by 2000 people asking the manufacturer to include MD uploading, as it would be a boon to their sales and such ans a mere software tweak. The corp's response was polite but came down to "it's not in our plans, even though consumers want it. Maybe one day."
So I own a high-quality, random-access recording deck. I can babble all night. I can dub vinyl so that I can hear old albums in the car or such. I can copy those files onto my hard drive the same way I'd copy an FM broadcast or an audio cassette.
I can't help thinking that this kind of manipulation of consumers by corporations disproves the power of the buyer. I buy something, but my desired use for it is somehow a threat to global corporate prowess. Built to be obsolete in the shrink-wrap.
I like the MD recorder a lot! I can babble, mark points in the babble, then delete sections, shuffle others, and then it will heal the edits on the fly. This is a fabulous piece of technology. If someone could help me observe packet traffic on its USB wire, I may be able to make it even more useful. Not that I would dream of subverting the whims of a company that ripped me off before when it came to video recording formats.
-press eject gimme the shock-resistant colorful disc, Ps/d
