Nerds like to talk about

By at 6:26 am Wednesday, Feb 21

Nerds like to talk about how copy-protection hardware won't catch on because the PC players don't want it. But here's how it's gonna proliferate: A $10 storage disc that holds 500MB (the last SmartMedia card I bought held 64MB and cost $75) and enforces copy-protection/rights-management. How long until everyone swtiches over to these things? How long before PC players need to integrate with it?

How can this thing only cost ten bucks? Two possibilities come to mind: One, they're being sold below cost; or two, earlier generations of removable media were wildly overpriced. Link

Cory Doctorow

Upcoming appearances

* Feb 9, 2012, DeKalb, IL: Day of Doctorow, NIU
* Feb 10-12, 2012, Chicago, IL: Capricon 32
* Feb 13, 2012, Arlington, TX: UT Arlington College of Engineering Distinguished Speaker Series
* Feb 16, 2012, Victoria, BC: 13th Annual Privacy and Security Conference

Recent books:
* Context (essays)
* With a Little Help (short stories)
* For the Win (YA novel)
* Makers (adult novel)

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