Maria at Crooked Timber has some good thoughts on computer design, iPods and the music industry.
Prices are patently more than the market is willing to bear (a dollar a song? 10 – 20+ dollars a month to “rent” your music collection?), but the music industry has responded by criminalising its consumers.
Except that now, thanks to iPod, more and more of the consumers who download their music and are fed up of being ripped off are stroppy, articulate, well-connected professionals. These people really don’t like being called criminals and they can hire lawyers if someone tries it. Hell, plenty of them are lawyers themselves.
Let the games begin.