Um... I think we've already had 2-3 hardware upgrade cycles (including on the Mac OS side, a massive switch of processor and one switch of a underlying operating system [9-10] that was probably even more massive then the hardware change), and ... wait... um... all my iTunes "infested crap" still works!

Whoa. How is that even possible?

Wait. I have an idea. Maybe the companies that are being paid when I purchase a song have a vested interest in making sure it all works. They want me to buy more! And wait, there's more! Perhaps, just perhaps, the money I spend on it provides some little network or programmer fellow a job... a job whose responsibilities are that, *gasp* the music / tv shows, etc. STILL work on my computer and hardware in the next "hardware upgrade cycle" or whatever.

Seriously, there are some possible, theoretical and real access issues that could arise from DRM depending on your usage. Nonetheless, I find that for me, the convenience, the cost, the instant access and the organization far more outweigh any possible DRM related issues. In the 4-5 years or so that I've been using the iPod and then later, the ITMS, I can't think of one time that the DRM caused me (or anyone else I know, to be honest) any problems.

I think it's silly to try and "scare" people with these worst-case, non-case scenarios that don't reflect the reality of what 95% of the iTunes-downloading public really give a fig about, and rightfully so. I think the probability of everyone's iTunes music just "not working" is about as high (and probably far, far lower) as the probability of someone getting ran over by a bus on their way to work.