UK just lost to Connecticut in the Final Four so I’m cranky anyway, but one thing I’m really starting to find annoying is media limitations on my iPad. Grooveshark has a snazzy new HTML 5 interface, but they still require Flash for the music player. No Grooveshark app exists for either the iPhone or iPad in the App Store, so no Grooveshark for me on my iPad.

When I go to watch Hulu Plus on my iPad, several shows are marked as Web Only. When I saw this while watching on my PS3, I rationalized it’s because greedy companies want me buying cable to watch their shows on a big television screen–which ain’t gonna happen. But when I get the same Web Only bullshit on my <10 inch iPad screen, I have to wonder what the reasoning is. They let me watch Project Runway on my larger MacBook screen, but the smaller iPad isn’t allowed? Dumb and inconsistent.

I wanted to listen to Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem while simultaneously surfing the ‘net, but I can’t let the YouTube video play in the background because it stops playback when I switch applications. Can’t play the song in Grooveshark because of the aforementioned lack of iOS support. Can’t play the video in Safari while doing something in another app because it either forces me into the YouTube app or the embedded video stops playing when I switch apps.

So I look into buying the song. The iTunes store has it, but I can only buy it by buying the whole album. So I figure I’ll check Amazon MP3. They definitely have it, but they don’t support MP3 downloads right on my iPad and there’s no Amazon MP3 app. So basically, I can’t buy a particular song I want right on my iPad, nor can I even listen to it if I want to, say, check my email while doing so.

These companies just shoot themselves in the foot by placing hurdles for me to jump through to buy their shit. I’m practically waving dollars at them, saying “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY”, but because the RIAA, Apple, Amazon, or all three are greedy and short-sighted, they lose a sale. I ain’t buying the whole album, I don’t want the whole album. Sell me a single song, on my device, for <$1, and you’ll get that sale and many future ones from me.