neveronfriday

Thanks! Which one cost the most? Volume 5? I got my set in that price range as well, but #5 I had to really dish out for (as new). Considering that a very nice person gave me Volume 6 for free, I still - in total - stayed in the price range of these eBay items. *relief*

How much did these go for? I forgot to watch the auctions.

Ah, finally something well thought-out that I'd like to respond to. Actually, we both agree pretty much. The problem is that we are looking at it from two different places on this planet. See, in Germany, Rapidshare is not a "firm" per its business model, it is considered to be an illegal offering that has removed itself to Switzerland to avoid legal issues in Germany. So far, three courts have decided that Rapidshare is, for all intents and purposes, a company mostly enabling illegal downloading (which very few people would doubt), having veered wildly off course from the original idea of offering a place where one can upload and easily either store or offer for download to friends private material, larger (work) documents, etc. It doesn't really matter if it was the users that took the business model off course or if it was Rapidshare encouraging this misuse because it noticed it was making millions of dollars that way. Rapidshare is acutely aware of these legal issues and is either slow or reluctant to respond to the various court decisions against it. Yes, they are acting quite quickly (they have to) to copyright claims (Chuck mentioned that above), but they're not trying hard. Why should they? There's always that new upload to replace the one they took down (a recent article by some guy who watched the most popular downloads for two weeks concludes that Rapidshare is fighting a battle it can't win. As soon as one file is taken down, 50 others pop up in its place. In that article, it was clear to see from a long two-page table that this was happening in the single-second range). So, from a legal German perspective, we are talking about a company that is - again legally - placed squarely in the camp that encompasses just about everything that can be termed "organized crime". The same goes for several other European countries who have tried to level similar cases against RS. Considering recent legislative work of the EU one can safely assume that it won't take long until RS is considered to be a criminal outfit EU-wide (read this: ACTT to see what I mean, depending on how far this agreement will reach when done). So, from my perspective, you can't compare RS to, say, IBM. In short, asking Rapidshare to stick to its advertising is like asking the MAFIA to sell its drugs and whatever at "promised" prices, follow free market principles and be held accountable for what they are doing by state legislature. Hell, they aren't even allowed to advertise in many European countries because they have been legally placed even below the rung on the ladder that is the "Pirate Bay" one. So, the German perspective makes it a ludicrous statement (and, if you read the ACTT link above and if public opinion will not bring those behind closed doors discussions down, that German perspective might very well turn out to be a world-wide perspective sooner than we think). I have no idea what American courts have said/would say about Rapidshare, but I'm quite sure that with the even tighter copyright control in the US, Rapidshare would end up in a cell next to your local Mafia hitman. Now, what do I use Rapidshare for? I use it for activities that are largely illegal in my country. Years ago, I decided to go the "digital way" and get every single CD and DVD I have into digital formats. It didn't take me long to figure out that ripping, checking and tagging more than 10.000 CDs is not a viable way of doing this. I would probably have to go through about 5 to 10 dead Plextor drives (probably more), etc. Additionally, it is illegal in my country to bypass copyright protection so, legally, I cannot make copies of some of my CDs (Blue Note "non-CDs", etc.) and hardly any of my DVDs (99% of my DVDs are, of course, copy-protected). No matter what, I soon found out that besides about 1000 CDs (and about 200 DVDs) or so that cannot be found online, everything else was freely available on RS. Ripped, often tagged to perfection and error-free. So, yes, I have started downloading illegally one copy of every CD and DVD I have paid for and own. Again, I own this stuff (!) and still, I'm a criminal in my country and have absolutely no doubts that the legal system would break my neck if I was taken to court. Idiotic and schizophrenic from my perspective, but that's what life is like over here. Last, but not least. If you spend quite a bit of time in various places where these CDs and DVDs can be found, you also notice that there is hardly anyone willing to pay for anything. In fact, most people throw endless tantrums when they simply cannot get free slots to download 1080p Bluray copies in the 20GB range. For hours, days and weeks, they will rant and rave about the inanity of the service but, mostly, they will not pay 1 single dollar for the bandwidth they are stealing from others who just might (unfortunately, I'm not one of these people) use this service for legit purposes.

Yep.

Pay for it or stop whining. It's really simple

So, we can therefore conclude that, since at some point you became a paying customer, it is you who A. was delusional B. found himself lured into Rapdishare's web of deceit. And, like a victim of the Stockholm Syndrome, or maybe a long-term cult member, you can't brook any criticism of your group. Thanks a lot, reading first really did help me understand it all. Dan, it's always fun watching you go off the rails. Let's just assume that you fit the general populace over on Rapidshare (and I'm sure you do), then you are one of millions of people (also) using the service to get stuff illegally. Of course you're now going to shout "No! Not me!" but I don't think anyone is going to believe you. So, what you are in fact doing here is beating your fists on the table like a two-year old yelling "Want! Want! Want! ... For free, because they SAID so." It's laughable, really. You could at least pay some cash while ripping people off. Disclaimer: I'm not a huge fan of Rapidshare, but it works fine once you are a paying customer. That's all. Besides, other services (which I also use once in a while) have similar shortcomings. I'm just really tired of people who insist that what they rip off from other people should, in addition, be totally free of charge. That's not only delusional, it's stupid. Waiting for your top-spin return. Should be fun. Ah, and don't forget to say hello to your very own cult, those Megaupload people.

We heard you the first time, but apparently Dan's reply (which I heartily agree with) did not sink in. The fact that their fee for service works well is irrelevant to his point. Rapidshare sucks because they are lying about their free "service". It is not unreasonable to expect a functional free service IF THEY SAY THEY OFFER SUCH A THING, WHICH THEY DO. But that service effectively does not exist. Ergo, RAPIDSHARE SUCKS, regardless of whether their "service for a fee" is great or not, because they are lying about their free "service". They are purporting to offer something which they do not actually offer. This isn't about naivete about how services like Rapidshare operate. We all understand the whole bait and switch technique, no need to lecture us on that. The point is that it is fair to expect an online business to provide what they say they provide, and call them out on it if they don't. You know, actually reading what people wrote helps prevent getting high blood pressure. I'll repeat it for you and mark the passage in bold letters (much easier to see, I guess): "Not much on the Internet is really for free, and Rapidshare is the Devil's den when it comes around to luring delusional people into its web of deceit." Clear enough? If you read that again, it pretty much covers what you were yelling about. Like I said, reading first helps.

"[...] as opposed to the sloping hinged lid of the original design, it now has a shoebox type lid.[...]" Amazon.co.uk

Fair enough, although I would add this (note the smiley): Anyone expecting free service from an outfit like Rapidshare either has a screw loose or is seriously delusional. Cheers! Obviously you are unaware that up until recently - maybe 3 months ago - the free service was indeed FREE and CONSISTENT and USEFUL to users who have no reason to pay for the service due to infrequent use. You waited longer to download, you had download limitations, and the downloads took longer. BUT THE SERVICE WAS PROVIDED. Now, one can wait hours to get access to a free slot. Perhaps your last comment should be amended to "anyone who doesn't know how Rapidshare has attempted to force free users to pay shouldn't make delusional comments about how the service works for those who don't wish to pay." And why should Rapidshare be any different from megaupload when megaupload offers a free level of service that consistently delivers what is promised? Rapidshare SUCKS DONKEY DICKS and that is no delusion. I've been a paying customer for years. Service works fine. I can only repeat: People who think that services like Rapidshare won't screw them over as free customers are delusional. Not much on the Internet is really for free, and Rapidshare is the Devil's den when it comes around to luring delusional people into its web of deceit. @Clifford: I can only speak for myself, but despite the singular server glitch here and there (re-download after a download seems corrupted or non-existent), the service has been well worth the investment. Disclaimer: I'm on a slow connection and have no idea how Rapidshare works with these bionic connections that allow you to download a house in 5 minutes flat.

Best guess would be to clear all cookies/traces of O on your PC and login anew. I've had similar issues in the past and was able to fix 'em that way. Secondly, if you post while the server is busy (or your own connection is slow or temporarily f*cked up), things like that can happen as well. Your browser can't "patch through" and, if you're lucky, what you conceived for the general populace to see is still available via the back button*. *This NEVER works for me if the post happens to be a long-ass one.

Fair enough, although I would add this (note the smiley): Anyone expecting free service from an outfit like Rapidshare either has a screw loose or is seriously delusional. Cheers!

Very sorry to hear this (although early retirement - if you can handle the financial aspects, which you said you can - ain't as bad as it might look right now). Being a teacher myself, I'm seeing an increasing tendency here (= Germany) to go "the American way" ... the lowering of standards (which is actually just a lowering of investment = money), etc., bla, bla, bla. All of this is done from a "leftist" perspective that screams about benefits and equality while completely ignoring achievement and other related issues. It's sickening to see a bunch of frustrated politicians (once you Google their high school scores, many were dismal) making decisions in the educational field that won't bite them in the ass ... they'll bite future generations in the ass ... and various other parts. Anecdote: About a year ago, the secretary of education asked for about one billion of extra investment into education. Our chancellor said that there was no money at all left to finance that kind of demand. Two months later, when the auto industry was about to go belly-up (plus the financial crisis spreading throughout the economy), she suddenly had 43 billion (!) she could pull from her stash (and that was just for starters!!) within 24 hours. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? I'm the eternal cynic, but you don't have to be one to know that things will hit the fan by about 2020. By that time, accountability will have disappeared into the mists of history (once again). Frustrating. Jeff: Good luck and all the best to you! Volkher

No it doesn't. At all. Too many people are turning this into a "religious" issue. I have a pro account and I might have one single error once a month, at the most. Haven't had any this year. Has worked flawlessly for years.

Don't worry It's an excellent set and the only thing you might have to do is go through an e-mail exchange with Sony/Columbia US.

a) I hope the seller will take responsibility if there is anything wrong. - If you are lucky, yes. b) Are all the old sets bad? - Yes (with very, very few exceptions). c) Is there glue on the actual CDs?? - Yes, lots of it at times (up to 20 CDs and more) There was a remodeled set ("shoe box") for a while and, if your set is screwed-up, you can try Sony/Columbia for a replacement (see link elsewhere in this thread). I'm sure they still have the remodeled boxed set. They have been slow in replacing the sets, but - in the end - I think they came through for everyone. My personal observation: Lots of marketplace dealers and eBay vendors are offloading the crummy sets at the moment.

Just quickly. First of all, thanks for the replies. I'm a bit amazed at the unwavering Taiyo Yuden support. Just one example: The first batches of their "WaterShield" printables were absolutely dismal. I was interested in hearing, for example, if people have had better experience with these recently. I encounter the same thing in every forum - mention the name Taiyo Yuden, and you always get the same response: If it doesn't work, one must have bought a rip-off. Simply not true. The above-mentioned burnables (WaterShield) had absolutely horrible test results (errors, unburnable, unreadable, etc.) when they came out and I haven't heard much good about them since (actually, I haven't heard much at all about them recently, although they are still sold). So far, The Kodak Gold seems like a recommendation to go for (the only one, so far). Does anyone have more? As to my HD array and the burnable/HD/tape question: Just call it a "collector's" thing. 'Nuff said.

Amazon (UK/Germany/...) has started churning out the f*cked-up sets again. They ran out of the remodeled "shoe box" one (gone for good, as far as I understand). The cynic in me just loves it. You really have to hand it to Sony/Columbia for that one.

Up for air (1x). 2x sometime next week.

I already have 16 external drives.

I've had Taiyo Yuden CDs (albeit three years ago) and they were NOT what people had promised online. There was a pretty wild quality difference in several batches I bought and, to be quite honest, I didn't think they were much better than, say, Verbatim (a label that's sold a lot over here). @Tom: The Kodak Gold I've heard lots of good things about. I'm interested in burning about 50 CDs that I absolutely want to be able to listen to these next twenty years. Are you saying that they might be the ones? Any personal experience? Which speed should they be burned at? The lowest/16x/... ? @Hans: Yes, the whole outfit is a JVC one now. I read about that quite a while back. JVC has published assurances as to the quality remaining the same, but I'm somewhat doubtful. Do you have any links in regard to people having used the JVC versions of these burnables?

Hi everyone, I'm looking for CD-burnables that a) are available in Europe as well and b) YOU can recommend because you have used them for a longer period of time. I'm NOT looking for any recommendations based on some tests or reviews you read somewhere, but CD burnables that you can recommend because you've used them for a longer period of time and because you are quite positive that they will withstand the test(s) of time. I'm planning on burning some backup copies of very important discs that I would also like to listen to 20 years from now (if still amongst the living). Cost is not an issue at all. $1 or $20 a piece doesn't matter. Gold? Platinum? Alien materials? Don't care if they perform well. An added benefit would be to be able to print the labels using my Canon Pixma IP 4000. Not that important though. And advice? Thanks! P.S. I have a run-of-the mill CD burner in my PC that I usually set to burn at lowest speed to get the best results. Any advice concerning burning-speed in relation to the burnable you are recommending would be much appreciated.

Good grief! $80 a set! Bollocks to that! I'm a professional cheapskate; average price I pay for CDs is $7-8. Maximum ever (when I was at work) was about $60 (for an LP). Thanks folks, but I'm clearly out of my league in even thinking of this. MG If nobody else bids on these sets (not very likely, but it has happened) you are smack-dab-in-the-middle of your league. Set a maximum amount you're willing to pay, snipe ... and hope you get one/two or more. I don't do eBay anymore, but in the past I've been extremely lucky with some of the auctions there. At least give it a shot! You'll be frustrated if someone else gets these for $20 per box.

MG, good advice from Hans. Bid in the last second. I bought these individually and got them at comparatively reasonable prices (besides one which I had to pay over $100 for (as new)). Of course, with my luck, now the whole set is on eBay just after I completed my run. I'm very happy with the sound on these and depending on a) your stereo and b) if Proper ripped this copy off 1:1 (which I doubt), you should really buy into these reissues. They're pretty much definitive (until someone goes the Billie Holiday route and packs them up in a cheapo box somewhere down the line (I doubt that will happen) and makes them much (!) cheaper). I have no idea how these will develop on eBay, but considering the prices elsewhere (and the state some of those second-hand copies are in) I would jump on all of them now ... you can still sell one or two copies down the line. Anything below $40 per box is cheap (!) and for some, even prices below $80 (if as new) are reasonable. I bought all of them because I love Dinah Washington's voice, but if your finances are limited or you aren't really sure, I would definitely get the first five volumes covering 1946-1958. After that, it really depends if you would count yourself in the Dinah Washington camp that considers her late 50s pop phase the highlight of her career or not. Volume 5 is where we still have the mainstream swing (and the 1958 Newport tracks) just before she started hitting it "big" (volumes 6 & 7 cover that phase extensively) and went "pop". Good luck! And post here what you got one/several volumes for so I can shoot myself in the head.

All 7 volumes are up on eBay at the moment with 4 days to go. No bids yet (but probably snipers in the wings). I managed to get mine from all around the globe and I have the complete run now (wasn't cheap), but whoever is interested in these might be able to get them cheaper than what they usually go for. No idea. Give it a try.

Just in case anyone has either one or both of these sets and is perhaps interested in selling it/them, I'd like to have them. I can pay via a) PayPal, b) credit card, c) Mosaic gift certificates, d) getting stuff for you via Amazon.com or other sites. I'm hailing from Germany. If you are interested in selling either one or both of these sets, let me know via PM how much you'd like for it/them (plus postage and shipping). Thanks for looking. NoF