DRM-Free Audio Books: This Could Really Work

Recently, I received a post from an email list I'm on citing the coming availability of downloadable audio books without Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. The post cited a March 3 New York Times article, in which top publishers, including Random House, announced plans to make their audio books available without the dreaded DRM.

Personally, I like this idea for many reasons.

More Choices

Without the restrictions of DRM, consumers will be able to place their audio books on any MP3/digital media player they own, burn them to CD, or listen to them on their computers without restriction. No more having to worry about whether your player is compatible with a site's downloads.

Greater Interest in audio books amongst the general population

I personally think, once people don't have to worry about the restrictions of DRM, and worry whether or not they have the right hardware or software player, more people will buy more audio books. Those of us who are blind have used audio books for years, and many sighted people are starting to use them in the car, on the bus, on planes, and just to listen to around the house. These numbers will only increase.

If the music industry can do it, why not the book industry?

I realize some people will be worried about piracy if the books become available in a DRM-free MP3 format. Personally, I think we'll see a decrease in piracy as more music and now books become available for consumers to purchase and do as they wish. DRM made legally buying audio cumbersome. You had to check the retailer's list of approved players. If you owned an iPod, you couldn't buy from stores other than iTunes if the store you wanted to buy from used the Windows Media format and DRM. If you were a blind person, many of the services didn't have accessible interfaces, and it was sometimes difficult to activate the license for your file once you had it downloaded...It was just easier to use a P2P client. Sadly, the P2P software is generally more accessible than iTunes or Napster or Yahoo Music.

Now, with MP3s, the downloads are more straightforward, and once downloaded, you access the file as you would any other MP3 that you'd ripped from your CD collection.

In the end, I think publishers will see a growth in audio book sales, and a decline in piracy. I think that once consumers know they can have their audio books on their terms, they'll be happy to purchase them as downloads.

Feel free to leave your comments on this subject. I'm interested to know what all of you think.

Internet Security/PC Maintenance Software at Its Finest: SystemSuite 8

Recently, I was looking for good software to handle my internet security and PC maintenance. For years, I'd been a satisfied user of Norton SystemWorks and Norton Internet Security. Unfortunately, that all changed when I upgraded to Norton 2007 last February. As a blind computer user, I need software that is useable with a screenreader, such as JAWS for Windows, and that is also keyboard-friendly. Up until last year, Norton had always come through for me.

Now, this article isn't intended to be a slam against the Norton line of products. My intent is to introduce you to a wonderful alternative I've found from the fine folks at AvanQuest Software, SystemSuite 8.

I found the product while doing a search on a national electronics chain's website. I looked at the product description, and SystemSuite 8 appeared to have everything I need. Since I had a gift card from Christmas, I figured it couldn't hurt to take a chance on a program with which I wasn't familiar...And in the end, I'm glad I took that chance.

As I mentioned, I needed something that would work with my screenreading software, JAWS for Windows. However, because my wife is sighted, I needed something that would work for her in a visual sense as well. System Suite 8 fulfills both requirements. The layout is simple to navigate, and all buttons are accessible via the keyboard and their titles are spoken clearly. The buttons are organized in an easy to understand format.

When I first launch the program, I press the down-arrow key, and I'm on a line of one-click wizards. Once on this line, I can tab from button to button and activate the wizard I need. Generally, I just press tab once and activate the button that says "Wizard 0". This is the comprehensive wizard which checks for viruses, cleans up the PC, optimizes the PC, and performs several other tasks. Users of Norton will be familiar with this concept, as it's very similar to Norton's "One Button Checkup".

If I want to move to a different set of utilities in the suite, I simply press my down-arrow again. Other lines include Cleanup, Optimization, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Firewall, Registry, Fix, and Maintain. Once I've arrowed to the line I want, I simply tab to the buttons and activate the one I want. From there, I just follow the instructions, which JAWS is able to easily read, or my wife can do this by easily viewing said instructions.

The program is also very fast. I have a 144GB hard drive built into the computer, and a 300GB external hard drive connected. Tasks such as scanning for viruses and spyware, disk clean-up, and system maintenance and repair only take a few minutes. With my past utilities, these tasks would often take several hours apiece. The program has also significantly sped up the time it takes my computer to boot up. With Norton, it generally took several minutes from the time the computer was turned on to the time the login screen came up, and then several more from the time I logged in to the time I could use my computer. With SystemSuite 8, my boot-up time is about a minute and a half from turn on to log-in, and I can begin using my various applications within about thirty seconds of loggin on.

SystemSuite 8 does as good a job as any other utility suite I've used at catching viruses and finding and fixing problems with the computer. Like many programs, System Suite 8 allows me to view a log of what has been done after each utility runs. If I choose, I can print or save the logs as well, in case I need to refer to them later.

The suite also comes with NetDefense Firewall. It gives warnings when programs try to access the internet and allows me to allow always, allow once, block always, or block once. It also shows me, if I choose to view it, an extensive list of all of the attempted intrusions that have been stopped. The log is easy to read and easy to understand. The tracking feature is pretty interesting as well. I can click the button when I have a particular event/intrusion selected and see to what ISP the IP number might belong.

The Easy Update feature makes sure I always have the latest virus definitions, program updates, and anti-spyware updates. It's easy to run, and updates install with virtually no assistance required from me.

Installation was a breeze. As a blind person, the only thing I needed visual assistance for was to have my wife read the serial number off the box so I could enter it to activate the program. Otherwise, all parts of the installation were completely accessible.

I realize I've generally geared this review toward blind computer users. I don't want my sighted friends to feel left out. Something we can all enjoy, blind or sighted, is how unintrusive the program is. SystemSuite 8 and NetDefense Firewall run in your task tray and don't interfere with what you're doing on the computer. If an alert pops up, it's always for a good reason. It's usually a message from the firewall which may require an action on your part, and it's the anti-virus system letting you know a virus has been detected and stopped in your incoming email. Unlike other utility and internet security packages I've tried, SystemSuite 8 does not slow down the use of your system. With my old anti-virus software, the downloading of email was very slow, even though I'm using a broadband connection. With System Suite 8, I barely notice any slow-down at all compared to when I deactivated my old anti-virus software.

Also, SystemSuite is great for people with all levels of computer knowledge. A novice can run the standard utilities to keep his or her computer problem-free. An advanced user can edit the registry and make other changes not recommended for beginners, but allowable for those who know more about how to manipulate the registry and such. In short, you can't get into trouble with this program unless you really try.

Finally, the program is a bargain. For all these utilities with other software packages, I've paid, as I'm sure you have, up to $99.99. I purchased SystemSuite 8 and got everything mentioned above for $49.99.

In the end, I'd recommend SystemSuite 8 to anyone looking for good, high-powered, easy to use, reasonably priced internet security and PC maintenance utilities all in one package. I haven't seen another set of PC utilities that works this well and includes everything you need at such a great price.

I admit, I'm such a fan of this product after using it for a month that I've become an affiliate for the company, specifically so I can market this particular program to anyone in need. AvanQuest has a huge line of software, everything from bookkeeping to ring ton creation. I haven't tried their other programs, but if they're as good as SystemSuite 8, I'd be willing to give them a shot.

If you're interested, you can buy SystemSuite 8 Professional. Use the promotional code AFFSS8 to save twenty-five percent (25%) on SystemSuite 8 Professional through March 31. Personally, I think it's one of the best software investments I've ever made, and I plan to stick with them as long as the program remains accessible to screenreaders.

You owe it to yourself to try SystemSuite 8 Professional on your own PC.

Welcome to The Derby Viewpoint

I suppose I should've made this my first post, but live and learn, I suppose.

Welcome to The Derby Viewpoint, my blog. Here, you'll find my opinions about a wide range of topics from politics to music, and current events to pop culture. From time to time, I'll also post reviews of software or other products I find to be worthwhile (and in some cases, not so worthwhile). I'll also ahre videos, links, and other things that I think might be of interest to you, the reader. Check back often, as I hope to regularly update this site. Also, feel free to visit my homepage (currently under construction). Click here to visit.

I hope you enjoy what I have to say...And if you don't like what I say, that's okay too. Feel free to leave comments, good or bad, on anything I've written.

Clint Black Cover of "Long Cool Woman" Possibly the Worst I've Heard

Yesterday, on XM Satellite Radio's "Nashville" channel, I heard country star Clint Black's cover of the classic Hollies' track "Long Cool Woman". Being a Clint Black fan, I thought it would be cool to hear him re-do such a great classic rock staple, but after hearing it, I realize I was wrong.

In all honesty, Clint Black hasn't put out too many sub-par songs, and even his cover of the Eagles' hit "Desperado" wasn't bad at all. For whatever reason, on this song, his voice sounded awful and the music sounded very cheesy, and more rock than country. The only redeeming thing I can say about this song is that I was able to more clearly understand the lyrics.

I know Clint doesn't need any advice from me, just some random fan, but stick to country, and stick to your own songs. And if you're a Clint Black fan, the choice is yours, but I'd advise steering clear of this song.