[Web4lib] Downloadable audiobooks - Windows Media Player for the Macintosh?

[Edward Spodick]

At 7:32 PM -0400 8/6/07, Carol Bean wrote:
>On Aug 6, 2007, at 7:08 PM, Bret Parker wrote:
>
>>We get complaints from time to time about Mac users not being able to use downloadable audiobooks on their Macs or iPods.
>>
>>I realize the issue is Digital Rights Management and that NetLibrary and Audible.com use a format that works with Windows Media Player and is not part of the Mac or iPod world. But...
>>
>>What if the Mac users ran leveraged the new technology that allows them to run Windows programs?
>>
>>Would anyone download  audiobooks from NetLibrary using Windows Media Player on the Windows side of the Mac? Seems like that would be adequate to at least listen. Maybe they could even transfer the file to a compatible MP3 player (not an iPod). Has anyone got an insider's view of this operation?
>
>Yeah, they could set up an intel Mac to run Windows as well as OSX, and download audiobooks there.  But they'd have to have an MP3 player that met the audiobook requirements in order to make it portable.  I don't know many (well, none, actually) Mac users who will choose an MP3 in addition to an iPod (or instead of an iPod).  But yeah, it could be done...
>
>Carol Bean
>beanworks.wordpress.com


As a systems person, I would do it for testing.  As a Mac *user*, I would certainly not bother, nor would I be willing to spend so much money to do so - Virtualization software license (possibly no cost), Windows OS license, MP3 player which is currently compatible, new MP3 player next year or the year after to maintain compatibility, etc.  Of course, a similar problem arises with some iTunes store files - or at least it would if the iTunes store was even available here.  :)

Basically, I have given up on using digitally restricted media for my personal needs.

-- 
Edward F Spodick, Information Technology Manager
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Library
lbspodic at ust.hk  tel:852-2358-6743 fax:852-2358-1043