I’ll also second Steven’s experience with downloading drivers. I spend my days working on IBM desktops and laptops so I know what he went though to get the drivers. To this day it baffles me that I have to click a thousand links to download drives which are wrapped in an IBM installer which serve no function other to unzip them to a randomly named directory. There simply has to be an easier way.

[Via Daring Fireball]

[Via TUAW]

You might also remember that Universal Music Group decided not to renew their iTunes contract a few months ago, instead going on a month to month contract. A little more than a month after not renewing their iTunes contract, Universal Music Group decided to give DRM free downloads a try on a number of download services, none of which were named iTunes. Today we got word from the CEO of Vivendi (parent company of UMG and 20% owner of NBC Universal), that “The split between Apple and (music) producers is indecent.” As it turns out, 70% of all UMG revenue goes to Vivendi.

There is definitely a growing displeasure of media companies not happy with Apple and iTunes. Nearly every story about this displeasure revolves around the lack of control over pricing given to the media companies. With the spreading anti-iTunes sentiment, I expect Apple to release some control over media pricing in the next 6-12 months. In nearly every non-regulated business sector, pricing is set by the producer or service provider, not the distributor. We’ll see in the long term if the media companies shoot themselves in the foot or actually increase revenue.

Though some networks have their panties in a wad with Apple, others are increasing their efforts to use iTunes as a promotional tool. Beginning this week, the season premier of seven Fox shows will be available for free on iTunes. Prison Break, Bones, American Dad, K-Ville, and three others will be available as a free download for one (CNN) or two (LA Times) weeks, depending on who you believe. I tried to search the Fox website but I could find no reference listing the names of the other three shows available.

I’m going to have a look at the available shows and download a few of them. I’ve never downloaded a show from iTunes so this is a good chance to test out the content quality. It’s a smart move for Fox to offer up the season premiers for free. At no other point of the TV season, except for maybe the season finale, is the hype for new shows greater. By promoting the shows on another distribution channel, Fox is giving the shows a greater chance to build an audience. iTunes makes it dead simple to download and watch a TV show if you missed it or just hadn’t heard about it. Since advertising rates are based on ratings, it’s obviously the networks best interest to increase viewership. I would image any money made on iTunes via the selling of TV shows is pure profit as well. This move by Fox sounds like a win-win for both Fox and Apple. These shows would be great to test out the new iPod nano.

If you have a Macbook, you might be disappointed by this announcement however. Reading the system requirements reveals this little gem at the bottom. “Note: This game does not support the GMA950 integrated graphics card.” I checked each game and they all have that note. So if you’re toting a Macbook, you might be out of luck playing these new EA games on your Mac.

What can Apple do to erase the feeling of unjust among iPhone users? Of course they are within their right to do absolutely nothing. There were no guarantees about pricing or new models when we all lined up that warm sunny day in June. I’m hoping however that since a precedent has been set before, that Apple will do something for those who feel cheated. At the very least I’d like to see them offer free AppleCare for all early adopters and refund AppleCare if you already purchased it. While that wouldn’t produce a warm and fuzzy feeling, it would at least take the gloom out of an otherwise dank feeling in my stomach.

Update: Looks like Apple heard the complaints and is doing something about it. While it was totally within their right to do absolutely nothing, I’m really happy Apple decided to do something. I feel the $100 credit is a fair offer. Thanks Apple!

The initial backup will take a number of hours and from then on it backups your changes as you are using your computer (or at a scheduled time if you choose that option). I haven’t noticed any performance hit since I installed Mozy. They also have bandwidth throttling if you are using a slow connection and don’t want your backups taking up too much of your bandwidth. Your files are backed up using 128-bit SSL encryption during transit and there is also encryption on their servers.

If disaster strikes you have a few ways to get your data back. 1) “Simply right-click on the file or folder that you want to restore (e.g.. you want to restore a previous version) and click on the Mozy restore selection).” 2) Use your web browser and select the files you want to restore from your Mozy account and download them to your computer. 3) Request a DVD of your files which will be shipped to you for a fee.

If you don’t mind your files living on someone else’s server, give Mozy a try. You get 2GB of storage space for free and can purchase unlimited space for only $4.95 per month. I use Mozy in combination with SuperDuper as my backup solutions. I now have ease of mind in that if something were to happen to my data, at a minimum I’ll get the important stuff back with no problems.