Apple Sued for iPod Monopoly, Defective iBooks

[Nomad559]

Apple Sued for iPod Monopoly, Defective iBooks

Shortly following news of Apple’s stock options backdating scandal, the Associated Press is reporting that the company is now facing several lawsuits, including one alleging that Apple is monopolizing the digital music market.

The lawsuit is over Apple’s proprietary iPod and iTunes software, which is generally incompatible with non-Apple products. Media purchased on iTunes is supposed to be playable only on iPod hardware, and songs purchased on other DRM systems are not easily playable on iPods.

Apple motioned for the courts to dismiss the case, originally filed July 21, but the courts denied the motion on Dec. 20. The plaintiff seeks unspecified compensation.

Apple is also facing a lawsuit, filed on Nov. 7, over the supposed high failure rate of the logic board in the iBook G4. Another lawsuit filed by PhatRat Technology accuses Apple of patent infringement for its iPod-Nike product.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

1. how do I get in on the ibook lawsuit?

My ibook is fucking worthless, I think the only original part left in it is the screw that holds in the battery and the screen and it always crashes comming out of sleep when running on the battery. Apprently that is another logicboard problem, but not one apple has aknowledged.

Thankfully I got a new HP laptop for Christmas last year that actually works, the ibook never really did.
A year into the mission the only problem I have had with my HP notebook is the rubber feet on the bottom have all fallen off.

I think a whole mob of us actually scared off some customers at the apple store at South Coast Plaza when quite by chance half a dozen of us with bad ibooks all happened to be in line at the "Genius Bar" (emphasis on quotes) at the same time loudly comparing notes on which logicboard our respective machines were on.

[yurbud]

2. which generation ibook is it? I've got a G3 and thinking of upgrading, so I'd like to skip your gen

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. 700mhz G3

but I have heard of problems with the entire series of white ibooks, the line in the apple store had everyone from a woman with the model older than mine to a guy with one only two months old. So I guess that covers both the G3 and G4

[Nomad559]

4. Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program

Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program
Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/

Best Ghetto Apple Hack Ever: iBook Logic Board Fix
http://www.joshoakhurst.com/?p=231

iBook G3 and G4 logic board problems
http://www.applefritter.com/node/10193

:)

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. that is just lovely...

but the replacement boards have the exact same problem and eventually fail too!

[silverojo]

6. That's because crApple sucks

Use a PC to run Linux...you'll have the security and stability of a Mac system, on hardware that won't fall apart when you touch it. :)

[Sherman A1]

7. Benn running Mac's for years and no problems

niece has a late generation laptop and not a problem at all.

[bowens43]

8. No problems and no software

;-)

[we can do it]

10. Yeah Right Whatever

[yurbud]

11. I think a lot of PC owners are happy because they use theirs exclusively for games

so they don't notice the crappy system software or that it wears out about as soon as the average kids toy.

I gave my mom a pre-G3 mac five years ago, and she is still using it today.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

16. speaking of a kids toy,

In Windows you can turn off that stupid childish interface, with a right click and properties, then selecting "Windows Classic" from the menu. Can't get rid of the stupid Advil Liqui-Gels interface on the mac for love or money!

And even if academically speaking MacOS is better, that was sort of lost on me when my laptop was usually either on its way to or from the apple service depot in Austin!

[Sherman A1]

15. Does everything I need it to do

So I suppose that it must be running some software, or perhaps it's just Mac Magical?

[n2doc]

9. Why doesn't someone sue M$oft for THEIR proprietary software?

Any WMA files with DRM won't play on my mac. Any files bought for the Zune from their servers won't play on my mac, or for that matter on any Linux machine.

Another lame ass lawsuit brought to you by some Windows lacky. Or someone trying to manipulate apples stock proce.

If you don't like the setup go buy a Dell and a zune. In the end it is all the same game. It's called a free market, folks.

[yurbud]

12. go to version tracker and get some converter like iSquint--it's free

[n2doc]

13. ah, but one can do the same with apples DRM as well

So, why the preference for attacking apple and not MS? It always amazes me how people get so upset about the supposed "locked up" nature of iTunes songs. All one has to do is burn them as a CD and re-import as mp3's. On a fast machine one can do it in about 5 minutes per disc. You can even use a CD-RW and never even worry about the waste of a cd blank. Anyone who thinks there is a big sonic difference between the copies really should try listening to the difference between a lossless origonal and any 128 kbps copy.

[yurbud]

14. I'm not upset about it. I prefer Macs even though I have to use PCs at work. PCs work about as

Yugos or Trabants.

[Vidar]

17. Apple's a monopoly but Microsoft goes marching on. Yeh, right.