Rhetorical fluff is not entirely true. If they demonstrate a technology and possible use of said technology that inspires others then that is worth acknowledging. In the same way that I don't want to condone dishonest behaviour (piracy) I choose to encourage creative and effective UI design. I want companies such as Delicious Monster to keep writing software. But this is a separate issue.
As for the functionality of the app. The primary benefits for myself are:
- iPod backup (as mentioned) - prevent the purchase of duplicates
- keep track of where stuff is - our assets are scattered between China and Australia presently so this feature is handy
- organise by purchase date - if you claim books, CDs, DVDs as self-education expenses then this is very useful come tax time
- borrowers feature (links into Address Book and iCal) - great if you are inclined to forget who has what
- notes - where I got the item from, whether it was a gift, the name of the store, the price paid ... sometimes even why I purchased it. I like to keep tabs on that type of stuff and it has been helpful over the past few years too. Also, being reminded of good times (I purchased this whilst on holiday, or when catching up with an old friend, or I chanced upon this second hand bookstore) ... the memory jog is a nice bonus.
Frequency of use: not often - just when importing stuff, or checking it out to friends.
Wish list- smart bookshelves and the ability to nest them - for example, Australia: study, bedroom, work
- beef up the search criteria - make it searchable by purchase date, or info in the notes section, for example
- hook into some Australian online databases - I want the PAL versions of my DVDs to appear correctly
- online purchasing from Australian stores - admittedly I haven't used this feature in DL1, but if it is implemented I probably will use it in DL2
- direct link/import of iTunes library - there are all my CDs, keep a record of them in DL2 ... then I just need to add purchase date, store bought, etc.
In general, keeping track of belongings is something that appeals to me. I can get quite fastidious about it. What can I say? I'm a list maker. For the same reason, I also like Omni Outliner - though, I could conceivably write all the lists I want using pen and paper.
I have really come to use the computer as a repository for a lot of the aspects of my life, so these programs seem a natural extension to me.