Regardless of what you might think of the OVI stor...

Question

...I am so glad I do not have to limit myself to working through iTunes.  I just now received notice of some free book downloads that I had an interest in, only to find that I had to go through several steps in order to re-authorize my computer to work with iTunes.  After numerous steps, verification of identity as well as payment methods, I was finally assured that I was ready to download the book.  Surprise!  I had apparently exceeded the number of authorized devices associated with my itunes account. I would have to de-authorize a device first.  But here's the problem: I no longer have any of the older devices to de-authorize.  At that point I closed iTunes, thanking my stars that I don't have an iPhone, and am not locked into using iTunes and its Byzantine licensing labyrinth!
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Answer 1

aspergerguy wrote:
kiltbear wrote:
The five device limit for protected iTunes content has been in place forever.
It no longer applies to audio files as they are no loner protected.
If you run into the five device limit, you can de-authroize all your devices once every month from one computer running iTunes and then re-add those you still need.
Whenever possible, I buy symbian apps from the developer instead of Ovi. Not only are the apps in the Ovi-Store often several versions behind, but you can't even see in the Ovi-store which version you are buying.
All in all the experience with iTunes (I support fruit phones here @ work) is far less tedious than wrestling with the notoriously unstable, buggy and unreliable Ovi-Suite and the IMHO quite painful to navigate Ovi-Store.
@kiltbear
Thought that de-authorising allowed once a year not month if 5 devices authorised:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420
At least if you buy from developer you have the downloaded application forever, as can easily disappear from OVI store.
If you purchase app. from iTunes it is not tied to IMEI when you re-sync new device.
Yes you are right about the de-authorize feature in iTunes, my memory failed me :-)
Well, as for being tied to IMEI, Gravity for Symbian is when bought from the developer, but you can transfer it if you switch phones.  That won't be happening as I don't plan on buying another Nokia device after the dreadful N97. After 16 or so years of only Nokia devices I'll look elsewhere when my 24 month N97 ordeal, err contract is up in December.
As for the Ovi-Store and Ovi-Music, I tried to get the non-DRM version of albums and songs that I had purchased (with vouchers from the 5800XM and N97) just prior to Nokia finally going non-DRM because an Ovi-Suite update had nuked my licenses and failed miserably.
Only one album was offered for re-download, in DRM-protected form, but hey, at least it was listed twice! None of my other music showed and support was living up to their trade-mark Nokia uselessness. I'm just glad I didn't actually pay for those downloads.
IM+ was a similar story. Ancient version in the Ovi-Store, no update and the Ovi-Version key did not work with the version downloaded from shape Services (the developer) did not accept the Nokia key. This was followed by more Nokia support uselessness.
Haven't bought anything from the Ovi Store since. I always check if I can get it from the developer or another store portal (e.g. Handango).
Suffice it to say that every other dowload store I buy and bought stuff from (Sony, Handango, PalmGear, Apple, Audible)  was able to solve any problems efficiently, swiftly and satisfactorily, with the one big exception being Ovi. Of the issues with purchases I reported to support (four all in all) none were resolved at all and no response by a human was received without contacting them SEVERAL times for each problem, a first reply took upwards of three working days and then it was only a useless boilerplate with no relevance to the problem described.
Ever seen a black lemon? They turn black when they rot. My N97 is black. 'nuff said