Columnist: iTunes U too restrictive
updated 05:50 pm EST, Thu February 2, 2006
iTunes U should be changed
While Apple's recently introduced iTunes U has become a useful tool for professors and students at many universities, there are some key deficiencies, according to Infoworld columnist Jon Udell. Although iTunes U works with the most popular digital media player--the iPod--the service leaves out a large population, as non-iPod users would have to alter the file format to playback iTunes U content--something Udell says most people will not know how to do. The column also says that iTunes U uses a URL format that is difficult to share: the podcast URLs cannot be easily copied and pasted in order to share it with others, according to his column. "The Web was first conceived as a means of academic collaboration [and] blogging and podcasting represent the long-awaited fulfillment of that dream. Universities are natural allies of the Web, sharing the values of accessibility and open discourse[;] but the iTunes relationship strikes a discordant note."
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Joined: May 2003
Please plead ignorance
This is sad from the standpoint of journalistic integrity. I would say that Mr. Udell has not checked the facts. After reading the article (more of a rant than journalism) I downloaded some of the Stanford content. I found that I was able to play the content in another player, contrary to his claim. That fact and his ability to re-encode the content would also refute is claim that Apple’s DRM was applied to the file. If the player that Mr. Udell uses supports standards like MP3, and MP4 he should have no problem playing the files. My guess is his uber lightweight MuVo (iPod Mini would also be a good choice) does not support all the Standards, does it.