If you had ever moved 3,000 books, a huge CD collection, and all your favorite DVDs and video games to a dozen different apartments (and moved all those books and CDs overseas) you'd still not be half as excited as I am about digital content. Now instead of paperbacks, I buy eBooks (and eBook magazines) from fictionwise.com. I buy my music from iTunes or eMusic. I download movies, TV, and other video content from iTunes and XBox Live (I can download demos and playable video games from XBox Live, too). I can even get digital audio books in English (audible.com) or French (audible.fr). I'd say I've fully embraced the digital lifestyle- and I'm loving it.
The first, most obvious advantage to digital media is that piles of books no longer threaten to topple as I walk through our house, and I don't have to spend needless hours of my life dusting jewel cases. The idea that I can "pack" the majority of our book and music collection on a pair of USB drives the next time we move, lets me smile when my husband buys another album instead of nervously wringing my hands.
But what if you only own a moderate amount of media, and have the good sense to stay put in one place? What can the digital content revolution do for you?
Advantage number one: it can get your stuff to you instantly. Forget waiting for a package to arrive in the mail, forget hopping in the car and driving to the bookstore or music store (are there still brick and mortar CD shops?), forget walking a couple blocks to the video store. Digital content, whether purchased or rented, is available instantly. The only possible delay is waiting for a long movie to download, but someday even that will be accomplished in the blink of an eye.
Advantage number two: you can watch TV programs and movies when it fits into your schedule. You no longer have to rearrange your life to catch Battlestar Galactica. Just subscribe to the series on iTunes.
Advantage number three: digital media is often less expensive than than physical media. I've saved money by going digital.
Advantage number four: you'll have embraced the digital content revolution, and the content you buy today will be compatible with the devices of the future.
Advantage number five: in March I talked about what creative solutions can be found to take it easy on the environment. The digital content revolution is an overlooked green shopping choice. If you order a DVD from an online retailer, the DVD has to arrive at the seller's warehouse. It's shrink wrapped, invoiced, boxed, shipped. A DVD purchased at the store has to be transported to a warehouse, then distributed to local merchants. You have to get in the car and go get it, then bring it home. Let's face it, you'll probably take it home in a plastic shopping bag. Oh- and don't forget that a factory had to stamp out the DVD, the accompanying full color booklet, the coupons and special offers you don't want stuck inside the case, the shrink wrap over the case, and the case, itself.
Environmental impact of the digital download: electricity needed to run the server where the content is stored, and the computer in your house.
It's a lot of fun being part of the digital content revolution. So far I've managed to participate without rioting in the streets- not that battles over digital rights haven't taken place in court rooms, caused international conflicts, or spawned grassroots protests. In fact, understanding DRM (digital rights management) is crucial to understanding the revolutionary new way we read books, listen to music, and watch TV. I'll discuss DRM and other aspects of the digital lifestyle in upcoming posts.
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