In the article “Real ‘frees’ Apple’s iPod player”, the following paragraph appears:
“Previously, Apple’s player was limited to digitally-protected tracks downloaded from iTunes online stores.”
Which would suggest that the iPod can only play music downloaded from the iTunes music store. But the iPod is first and foremost an MP3 player. The majority of music on most iPods is in the MP3 format and comes not from the iTunes music store but from “ripping” previously purchased CDs.
For an example of accurate reporting, I point you to the article “Here comes the MP3 revolution” in the Contra Costa Times:
“Music gets into an MP3 player in a couple of ways. One can move tracks from existing CDs into a computer, then download them into the MP3 player. Or one can acquire new music from an online site — be it an online store such as Apple’s iTunes, or a band or record label’s Web site — and download it to the iPod, usually for a charge per song.”
The article is more verbose than the BBC’s but it reads as being far more accurate and unambiguous.
I’m afraid the Beeb might be inadvertently guilty of spreading some FUD on this issue.
UPDATE: the auntie makes ammends:
“Previously, the only tracks with digital protection the iPod would play were those from the iTunes store.”