06-07-2011, 03:22 AM
Utilizing the cloud is useful. For people that desire universal access to their files, music etc., it's nice. Apple's version however, appears to be mostly limited to just their devices which is unfortunate because their implementation looks great. Google's offerings are more broadly accessible (including iPhone/Touch) I did get the invite for Google Music Beta and it works fine. It took about a week (off and on) to upload 5500 songs. I love it.
The biggest issue in my opinion regarding the digitization of music, books, files etc., is how all of it can be affected based on how the political winds blow. If at some point we elect a broadly critical government that decides to be the arbiter of taste, morality etc., and they actually amass the power to control the content of our lives then it would not be all that difficult for them to legislate electronic book burnings, and virtual music steam rollers simply by addling our devices or the streams that carry that information.
Physical books, movies, music, textbooks, newspapers etc., in my opinion are still something valuable. We have people here that concern themselves with the privacy policies of some specific corporation. But a President fill in the blank and a compliant congress with a helpful SCOTUS can simply flip a switch to empty our lives of our literary, sonic and aural lives sooner than we think.
The biggest issue in my opinion regarding the digitization of music, books, files etc., is how all of it can be affected based on how the political winds blow. If at some point we elect a broadly critical government that decides to be the arbiter of taste, morality etc., and they actually amass the power to control the content of our lives then it would not be all that difficult for them to legislate electronic book burnings, and virtual music steam rollers simply by addling our devices or the streams that carry that information.
Physical books, movies, music, textbooks, newspapers etc., in my opinion are still something valuable. We have people here that concern themselves with the privacy policies of some specific corporation. But a President fill in the blank and a compliant congress with a helpful SCOTUS can simply flip a switch to empty our lives of our literary, sonic and aural lives sooner than we think.