I guess if you really like the iTunes/iPod system, it wouldn't be too bad to just use Apple lossless for everything. It'll work with the iPod and Squeezebox, and you won't have to maintain a double collection. The larger your collection, the more you'll want to avoid doing doubles.
The only drawbacks are the added CPU and bandwidth it will cost to transcode and stream wav to the squeezebox, and the fact that you'll "only" be able to fit about 180 albums on your iPod. Doing the ripping through iTunes is a potential drawback if you have a lot of ripping errors. As far as the "political" arguments for FLAC, I think it works both ways. There's no reason iTunes couldn't support FLAC - it would have been easier than inventing their own lossless format. For "political" (financial) reasons, they want you to use their format and software. By using Apple Lossless you are essentially marrying yourself to iTunes. If you're okay with that, fine. Using Apple Lossless is kinda like getting a prenuptual agreement - if you decide to get a "divorce" later, at least you won't have to re-rip. I think the reason a lot of people go the EAC/FLAC route is because they are assured of getting perfect rips and it's a nice feeling to have the complete freedom and flexibility of an unencumbered format. -- Pale Blue Ego ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=20066 _______________________________________________ ripping mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/ripping
