Product Description

MP3 Underground is a brief, non-technical explanation of MP3 and Napster and their benefits, a look at the legal issues, and a short, concise overview of hardware requirements, MP3 players, cataloging software, on-line music database, rippers, encoders, and juke boxes. The book also includes a consumer's guide to the various MP3 players, an overall explanation of streaming audio, and how-tos for setting up your own MP3 site. The reader will be directed on how to hack past copy protections and sort through the legal and clandestine sources of MP3.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1788106 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Back Cover
MP3 Underground is a brief, non-technical explanation of MP3 and Napster and their benefits, a look at the legal issues, and a short, concise overview of hardware requirements, MP3 players, cataloging software, on-line music database, rippers, encoders, and juke boxes. The book also includes a consumer's guide to the various MP3 players, an overall explanation of streaming audio, and how-tos for setting up your own MP3 site. The reader will be directed on how to hack past copy protections and sort through the legal and clandestine sources of MP3.

About the Author
Ron White is the author of the best-selling How Computers Work, winner of best non-fiction computer book award presented by the Computer Press Association. He is also a senior editor at PC Computing, where he's written columns on the Internet, shareware, CD-ROMs and features. He has an irreverent sense of humor perfect for a book such as MP3 Underground .

Customer Reviews

The best MP3 book I have bought
Finally someone dared to write the book that tells what we want to know about MP3 and not just the surface junk. So many of the MP3 books that I have bought and read are filled with stuff that is boring and meaningless. It is almost as if the authors are afraid to write about this topic but they go ahead anyway hoping to sell a book. The CDs included with most books have been as dull as the book itself. Not so in this case. The book is written with a touch of humor which makes for enjoyable reading. Several times I found myself laughing right out loud at comments made. Not many computer books warrant reading every page but thats what I ended up doing with this book. I found the CD included things I could use right away. Also, this book is written so that even computer novices like myself can understand it. Too many times I find that authors assume that we all understand the entire workings of the computer world.

MP3 Underground
I purchased the MP3 Underground book at a Wal-Mart store for a great price. I have never understood much about MP3, until I purchased this book. It gives, especially for newbies, a semi-technical explanation of the "does" and "don'ts" in the "seedy underworld" of the MP3. The book "reads" very easily, even for a newbie. The book appears to have literary content, but it is excellent for technical explanations. The nice part of this book, which appears to be unintentional, is the many freebies. For instance, on pages 138 and 142, supported by pictures, are good technical explanations for the many whistles and bells on the MusicMatch Jukebox. Not even Microsoft or Dell gives a newbie this kind of illustrated technical explanations. This is a must have book.

This book is SERIOUSLY outdated!!!
I think back in 2000 or 2001 this book WOULD have been relevant. But for today, it's useless. Actually, the first chapter on "What is MP3 Internet Audio" is still relevant. But the rest of the book is totally outdated. Even the web site associated with the book has been shut down. And in the book, the web site is referred to often for further research, as information was left out of the book because they had the luxury, at one time, of having a web site. Moreover, this book is about a Napster that predated the big change BEFORE it was a pay site. Once you realize how outdated the information is, you have to doubt all of it. I also bought a book called, "Burning Down the House," and found it to be FAR more relevant. It was written after the lawsuits associated with illegal downloading began.

If this book, MP3 Underground, was updated, it could be a good book. But in this day and age, with technology changing as fast as it is, in reality, books on this subject need to come out every year.