07-25-2009, 01:16 PM
You are correct regarding the five computers (though you have to authorize each of those computers.
The second you rip your AAC files to Audio CD the DRM disappears. Therefore your MP3s are all DRM-free. The only problem I see with your method is that you've taken music that is slightly degraded by lossy compression (AAC) and then degraded it again with a different lossy compression (MP3), so the quality is compromised. If you only play it on your iPod and earbuds or crappy speakers you may never notice (or you've just gotten used to poor quality). If you're going for higher fidelity then you may find that your original AAC files sound much better.
The second you rip your AAC files to Audio CD the DRM disappears. Therefore your MP3s are all DRM-free. The only problem I see with your method is that you've taken music that is slightly degraded by lossy compression (AAC) and then degraded it again with a different lossy compression (MP3), so the quality is compromised. If you only play it on your iPod and earbuds or crappy speakers you may never notice (or you've just gotten used to poor quality). If you're going for higher fidelity then you may find that your original AAC files sound much better.