Nero Move it: The Rosetta Stone for digital media?
It's fairly easy to use iTunes to get music, photos, and video onto your iPod. But what if you've got a video that you didn't buy on the iTunes Store? Or you want to get those files onto a PSP--or a Nokia phone? How about getting 6-megapixel photos from your camera to your Sony Ericsson Walkman phone? It's for those sort of digital back-and-forths that Nero's created Move it. The new Windows software lets you transfer most digital photos, audio, and video files between a variety of portable devices using your PC as the middleman.According to Nero, Move it will offer compatibility with a wide range of devices including the iPod and the PSP. The aim is to make transfers as close to plug-and-play as possible--to that end, the software will automatically convert and transcode files to preoptimized formats and resolutions as necessary. Also of note: Move it can interface with online social networks and sharing sites such as MySpace and YouTube. (Nero is pledging free downloadable updates that will add interoperability with more devices and services.)Notably, Move it is only compatible with DRM-free files. Don't expect to use it for ripping DVDs or transferring iTunes Store videos to non-Apple products. There are plenty of commercial and freeware programs around that do exactly the same sort of thing. (Check out Format Factory, for instance.) But Nero's hoping that Move it's ease of use and wide-ranging compatibility will set it apart in the mass market. The software will soon be available in two forms: as a shrink-wrapped box in stores for $50, or as a download for $40. My questions to you: Would you consider Move it as a worthwhile addition to your digital toolbox? Perhaps more importantly: do you think Move it would be recommendable to your non-techie friends? Or do you have a suggested freeware alternative?
