This Coffee Maker Has DRM to Lock Out Competitor's Refills - Update

[CrystalShadow]

So, what's next? Certain types of cars only work with Shell gas?

Oh, that's nothing. Years ago, someone made the comparison (in relation to computer software generally) of a car that was only able to drive down certain specific roads...

Being stuck with one kind of petrol is a minor inconvenience compared to having a car that can only be driven on 'approved' roads... XD

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So, what's next? Certain types of cars only work with Shell gas?

Oh, that's nothing. Years ago, someone made the comparison (in relation to computer software generally) of a car that was only able to drive down certain specific roads...

Being stuck with one kind of petrol is a minor inconvenience compared to having a car that can only be driven on 'approved' roads... XD

Oooooooh. I like that one. Wish I had thought of it. Three points to you.

 

[Goro]

Coffee from a can? From a vending machine?
That's.... that's just plain wrong!
Every morning I roll up my sleeve and tap a vein for some proper, 45 bar boiling-water-washed single source ground bliss. I'll drink pod coffee if there's nothing else around and I have drunk instant, although that makes me feel dirty and ashamed.
But on topic, if you have to use a companys pods, they'd better be the best damn things on the shelf, and good value to boot. It's not like this company has such a dominance they can afford to lock out competitor products.
Aaand now I want coffee.
Not that I'm an addict or anything...
/shame...

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

Can I just ask a question what is wrong with coffee pots that use ground coffee, water and filters??? Sure I can see the convenience here but come the hell on it's coffee for crying out loud.

 

[SquidVicious]

So does this make my french press the Linux of the coffee world? I actually tried a cup from one of those Keurig machines and it was alright, but my $10 press is still better.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

So what's to stop people from just using the original Keurig machines then? If that's the only substantial thing that the "Keurig 2.0" offers than I see no point in upgrading honestly, especially if the competitor's refills are in fact cheaper.

Well, sometimes coffee machines break, particularly if you use them often. If you're a Keurig loyalist, and they stop selling the original, then you might be forced to upgrade.

in america, if we want tea we nuke the water and add a tea bag of desired flavor, and add copious amounts of sugar or artificial sweetener.

Ugh, speak for yourself!

I buy my tea from Teavana and use a proper kettle, and I'm American. I even have one of those Teavana tea-presses (kinda like a French Press, but with tea).

As for sweetener, it depends on the tea, but I often use the natural sugar crystals they sell at Teavana.

I really like Teavana, okay?

French Press Master Race vs Keurig Drinking Peasants! I sense it brewing...

The problem is there's a third camp - the Espresso and Latte crowd. **raises hand** Oh, and also the Iced Coffee crowd. **raises hand again**

....

Wow, this post really makes me look like a caffeine fiend. Which I am, so... yeah, that's appropriate I guess.

 

[michael87cn]

Coffee pod? The hell is that? I just use a coffee filter, a pitcher of water and some ground coffee beans.

THE HELL IS A COFFEE POD?

Stop spending a million dollars on coffee people...!

 

[loc978]

So how bout 'dem put in ground beans, water, wait a little while and pour from pan coffee makers?

Or stereotyping question: are Americans really this lazy?

Apparently some of us are. I'm pretty mystified by this. I've never even heard of a coffee maker that takes... "pods"... wouldn't stand for it, myself.

Everyone I know either grinds their own beans or doesn't drink coffee. Drip for quantity, espresso pots for quality, french press for when you're feeling lazy.

 

[Keiichi Morisato]

So what's to stop people from just using the original Keurig machines then? If that's the only substantial thing that the "Keurig 2.0" offers than I see no point in upgrading honestly, especially if the competitor's refills are in fact cheaper.

Well, sometimes coffee machines break, particularly if you use them often. If you're a Keurig loyalist, and they stop selling the original, then you might be forced to upgrade.

in america, if we want tea we nuke the water and add a tea bag of desired flavor, and add copious amounts of sugar or artificial sweetener.

Ugh, speak for yourself!

I buy my tea from Teavana and use a proper kettle, and I'm American. I even have one of those Teavana tea-presses (kinda like a French Press, but with tea).

As for sweetener, it depends on the tea, but I often use the natural sugar crystals they sell at Teavana.

I really like Teavana, okay?

French Press Master Race vs Keurig Drinking Peasants! I sense it brewing...

The problem is there's a third camp - the Espresso and Latte crowd. **raises hand** Oh, and also the Iced Coffee crowd. **raises hand again**

....

Wow, this post really makes me look like a caffeine fiend. Which I am, so... yeah, that's appropriate I guess.

i was talking about the average american, you know, the ones who buy their tea at Wal-Mart.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

i was talking about the average american, you know, the ones who buy their tea at Wal-Mart.

I'm plenty average. I buy a lot of my groceries at Wal Mart. I got my lunch today from a Super Wal-Mart.

I don't know anyone who makes tea in the microwave. Everyone I know boils it on the stove even if they're just making Liptons tea.

Or they make iced tea with powder packets.

Or they use those squirt thingys to change bottled water into iced tea. Those are really tasty - I use those myself.

Anyway...

Microwaved water doesn't boil properly due to the particular way microwaves heat water. That means the tea leaves don't interact properly with the water. Tea really does taste better if you boil it on the stove.

 

[regalphantom]

just as long as you don't put the milk in first...

Spoiler

I know that this will probably be ignored since I'm a little late to the party, but the ISO would like a word with you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3103

The standard was originally produced by the British Standards Institute then adapted by the ISO. Formally, tea should be brewed in either a glazed earthware or white porcelain teapot, with a mug of similar material. The tea should be added to the teapot roughly 20 seconds after pouring, at a rate of 2 grams per 100mL of boiling water. The standard brew time is 6 minutes, at which point the tea leaves should be removed and the tea poured. If milk is used, it is to be added BEFORE pouring at a rate of 1.25 mL per 100mL of the final tea solution (so if you added 2.5 mL of milk, you would pour 243.5 mL of tea)

 

[J Tyran]

round here household coffee comes in a jar as far as most people are concerned.
a machine like that is generally seen as an unnecessary palaver.

Anyone that comes to my house and is stupid enough to ask for coffee gets Douwe Egberts instant outta the jar, I rare;y drink coffee in the first place so I don't want to buy a huge pretentious machine covered in levers that spews out coffee that all have pseudo Italianesque names.

 

[Zeterai]

I've got a Keurig. I don't drink coffee, but I've got one. You can get a startling variety of different drink packs for them, ranging from apple cider to liquid-doughnut flavoured hot chocolate, and a significant amount of unique coffee flavours for the people who are into that. The thing is, almost all of the good ones are the sort of generic types that this DRM foolishness would block.

Keep in mind the reason I've got one is it produces instant hot drinks of a ludicrously wide range of types and flavours. If all it has going for it is instant coffee that Keurig sells, I'm not inclined to upgrade. The only ways I can think that they'd even get this DRM thing going is either some sort of optical reader on the powder container, or an RFID tag embedded inside. Both of these sounds stupid. Even moreso, the generic stuff not only tends to taste better but you can get them in massive, cheap, bulk quantities - another thing the DRM scheme will prevent.


Yea. Liquid doughnut hot chocolate. And Keurig wants to take that away from me. Screw you, Keurig. Screw you.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Thanks, but no thank you. I'll stick with literally anything else. Idiocy like this does not need any sort of encouragement whatsoever.

 

[FalloutJack]

This is getting fucking ridiculous. I just wanted to say that before moving on to the quoted text.

Somehow, I don't expect this to get the same level of ire as Microsoft did.

I'd disagree. Imagine a world where you DARE - YOU DARE - interfere with someone's morning coffee in some way. And imagine you're doing it repeatedly to everyone who doesn't want your brand, but might find your coffermaker useful and affordable. Now, something like this can end in one of two ways: With violence or with public outcry, demands for refunds, and a general boycotting of your product because we want our goddamn coffee without any strings attached.

If you're the maker's manufacturer, you hope and pray for the latter, and dread the notion of a series of coffee-machine-launching trebuchets attacking the company and all within it. People who get their cuppa interfered with at any hour of the day are irritable, cranky, and liable to snap at you. People who get theirs interrupted on purpose and with some sort of malice or undesirable intent involved are liable to punch you right through walls with that superhuman strength phenomenon that appears when people are desperate, under stress, or in a blatant rage...of which all of these can apply, even at once!

 

[Excludos]

This has been completely normal in Norway for many years now. Surprised this isn't the case already elsewhere.

 

[Queen Michael]

Is there any chance at all that this'll actually work? I can't imagine people buying this if they know about the DRM.

 

[blackrave]

It's getting worse people.
Soon we will have footwear with DRM that will prevent you from walking if you don't wear approved socks
It's just a matter of time.

 

[OneCatch]

i don't actually know anyone...nor have i in fact ever known that i can remember...who actually owns and uses a dedicated coffee machine.

mostly on account of us having these great things called "kettles"...

is this like some huge "in every kitchen" brand name i'm not aware of ?

Wales here, I think it's more an American thing. Though they are trying to break into the UK market. Just look in the 'middle class crap' section of any good department store!

I hate coffee (and John-fucking-Lewis) so this won't affect me in the slightest.
Reminds me of proprietary ink cartridges and printer cables though. That does piss me off!