Most DRM implementations have so far proven to be heavy-handed and less than customer-centric. Yes, I’m still smarting from Microsoft Reader’s DRM. Now a new DRM-related evil has emerged in an article from MP3.com that looks at DAP battery life. One conclusion: Heavy DRM not only slows down an MP3 player but also sucks the very life out of them. For example, a Creative Zen Vision:M player saw its battery life plunge from 16 hours of MP3 audio to about 12 hours when using WMA subscription tracks. Other PlaysForSure players displayed similar behaviour. Apple iPods saw an 8 percent batter life drop when comparing MP3 playback to FairPlay AAC tracks.
DRM still has a long way to go before it reaches a balance between ease of use for users and piracy protection.