CD Ripping - Carpe Diem

From time to time we send clients packing material so they can get their CDs over to us. Normally we send a box of CD spindles and a few days later the box boomerangs back, complete with a batch of CDs to rip. One box didn't, funny I thought. Win some, lose some.

Yesterday the missing box came back, empty, save for a covering note.

"Apologies for the delay in getting these back to you. Alas they are empty as I am no longer able to proceed with the ripping service due to the fact I no longer possess my CD collection".

Why? Your guess is as good as mine. My money is on Burglar Bill. I can assure you this is one person who wishes he'd moved more quickly and had all his music safely backed up. So, if CD ripping is on your mind - carpe diem. Quickly.

Whither MP3?

Neil Young - remember him? If you're around my age he's that bloke with the winning stage persona and a rather reedy voice. Made some great tracks on his early albums (70s, 80s) and then, well so-so and he got very political.

Recently the news broke that he (sometime singer) was collaborating with Steve Jobs on a new music format. Just let that sink in - the technical genius at the head of one of the world's biggest IT companies, the man who gave the kiss of life to the whole portable music thing, is turning to a singer for tech advice. Young's argument rests on the "fact" that when Jobs went home he listened the vinyl. Rather a shaky foundation on which to build an easily rebutted argument but then SJ is dead.

Did anyone say MP3 was top quality? CD ripping has been about liberating music at a compromise setting that works well for most purposes. You get compressed music files so you can take them around with you, so you can store them on a hard drive, so you can make backup copies, so you can buy and download new tracks. So you can sort and access music in ways vinyl never allowed.

Recently we've added two music file format options to our ripping option - Apple Lossless and FLAC. These are becoming better received given the availability of small USB hard drives, believe me the upgrade in quality is worthwhile. But if you want to get every last ounce out of that iPod, MP3 or AAC is the way to go.

Hard Luck With Hard Drives

This week we have three jobs in, each client would like their files returned on USB hard drives. CD ripping is pretty much complete so I've just been to our local computer store to buy three discs.

We use Argos. OK, it's not the Apple Store but for several years we've been sourcing standard computer peripherals from them, particularly after losing the alternative which was Dixons. Today, no luck.

I could have a drive (not three, just one) at around £120 (compared to the £55 we've been paying). That was the best they could offer and I've just checked online where stock isn't more plentiful. I had a similar experience just before Christmas but was told in PC World that supplies would be back to normal by February. It seems not. What is to be done? I hope not a trip to Lakeside.