[Mdraluck23]

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iTunes is extremely user-friendly; user-seductive is probably more accurate. But it's huge and can be slow (clicking to Music or a specific playlist when it's in the iTunes store can take a while).
 

I don't use the iTunes store... So that's why I never noticed that one. My laptop has 6gb of DDR3, so I guess I just don't notice the bloat. I feel ya on the organization thing, but you can change it actually.
 
EDIT: err.... I think you can change it.
 
Double EDIT: Nevermind. I'm wrong. That seems inexcusable.

 

[ianmedium]

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I don't understand how anyone can find iTunes 'usable', it's horrendously laggy.

what do you mean by laggy? I personally find it very easy to use.Not all of us are technically savy and I have found other ways very hard to use compared to itunes.

iTunes is extremely user-friendly; user-seductive is probably more accurate. But it's huge and can be slow (clicking to Music or a specific playlist when it's in the iTunes store can take a while).
 
I decided to dump it because I hate the way it organizes rips.  It folders by artist/song, which is fine if it's the only interface you're using, but if you have other mp3 players, it's a complete pain in the ass. If your player's an Apple product, there's no real reason for you to get something else.  If it works for you, it works.
 
But if you want more control, freedom and flexibility, there are other option out there.
 

 

Thanks for that, I think I understand. I am very happy with the sound of my classic and love the huge drive. I have toyed with trying a clip or HM601 but when I add up the cost of extra memory to carry around so that I can have my entire library at my disposal I shy away. Also being very bad at technical things it all seems so complex to me. As you rightly say, what works for each individual the best is best for them. I guess I still am getting over the terrible system on my old Sony set up!

 

[sterob]

itune library is one of the most pain in the butthole i ever encountered. Thank to it i stoped my urge to purchase the ipod nano.

 

[Mdraluck23]

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itune library is one of the most pain in the butthole i ever encountered. Thank to it i stoped my urge to purchase the ipod nano.

I think that's what I'm coming to realize. I like iPods UI though... just a few more options and better SQ and they'd be great. I have the technical know how to use any player I want, but I like the K.I.S.S. approach apple uses to everything sync related. Now that I've added the Clip+, everything goes to hell.

 

[RedSky0]

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I don't understand how anyone can find iTunes 'usable', it's horrendously laggy.

what do you mean by laggy? I personally find it very easy to use.Not all of us are technically savy and I have found other ways very hard to use compared to itunes.

 
For me using iTunes consists of dragging albums and audio magazines only my iPhone. Purely opening iTunes and connecting my iPhone takes a good 15-20 seconds. While any files are being transferred, literally the whole application freezes and slows the whole PC down. Transferring the music takes easily twice as long as it should. I have to spend almost as much time again applying album art. I am also forced to ensure all my metadata is correct because iPhones don't give the option of folder browsing. There is even a lag when clicking on music in my iPhone library to select. Half the time I accidentally end up playing the song and not selecting. When I drag in ~100 tracks (Economist Magazine audio each week), I have to drag and hold the files I'm trying to transfer over iTunes for a good 5-8 seconds, before it processes what I'm trying to do.
 
All of these 'features' are astounding considering had they simply made drag and drop possible with the iPhone memory just registering as a portable hard drive (I've been using a player with drag a drop for the past 3-4 years) none of these things would be an issue.
 
This is why I don't use it to manage my library. I shudder to think how agonizing it would be.
 
 

 

[Procession]

 
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All of these 'features' are astounding considering had they simply made drag and drop possible with the iPhone memory just registering as a portable hard drive (I've been using a player with drag a drop for the past 3-4 years) none of these things would be an issue.
 
This is why I don't use it to manage my library. I shudder to think how agonizing it would be.
 
 

I'm, reluctantly, using an iPhone as my general phone (Any other phone on my plan would have cost an extra $15 a month) and this is the "Feature" that annoys me the most.
I own the phone, I should be able to drag and drop my own damn files.
 
It has, in fact, prevented me from suing my iPhone for any type of media because it requires iTunes. There is no way in hell I would install such an application on my computer so I simply carry around my S:flo2; it may be some extra weight, but the SQ and the lack of proprietary software is just undeniable.
 
Another thing I hate about iTunes is the unchangeable interface and the horrific quality of bought music and often even ripped music.

 

[albertnam]

That seems to be an irrational reason for not using iTunes. If your ripped music quality is poor, then that is entirely your fault. Bump up the settings or rip to lossless using third party software. Also, tracks from the iTunes store sound decent, and you can't blame Apple for providing compressed audio over the internet. 256kbps AAC isn't the best, but it's better than MP3 at a comparable bitrate.

 

[Procession]

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That seems to be an irrational reason for not using iTunes. If your ripped music quality is poor, then that is entirely your fault. Bump up the settings or rip to lossless using third party software. Also, tracks from the iTunes store sound decent, and you can't blame Apple for providing compressed audio over the internet. 256kbps AAC isn't the best, but it's better than MP3 at a comparable bitrate.

Well, it sets people up for a bad start.
I know people who have ripped entire 200-300 CD collections in the default 128CBR MP3 settings, then researched audio files.
 
And now, considering the speed of the internet, there is NO reason not to offer high quality downloads.
I have a HORRIBLE plan (1500/256) and I still download all my music in FLAC.
 
Quite simply, it may be an easy to use program, but they're setting people up for failure and a lot of heartache should they decide to research audio codecs.

 

[Achmedisdead]

 
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I don't understand how anyone can find iTunes 'usable', it's horrendously laggy.

what do you mean by laggy? I personally find it very easy to use.Not all of us are technically savy and I have found other ways very hard to use compared to itunes.

 
For me using iTunes consists of dragging albums and audio magazines only my iPhone. Purely opening iTunes and connecting my iPhone takes a good 15-20 seconds. While any files are being transferred, literally the whole application freezes and slows the whole PC down. Transferring the music takes easily twice as long as it should. I have to spend almost as much time again applying album art. I am also forced to ensure all my metadata is correct because iPhones don't give the option of folder browsing. There is even a lag when clicking on music in my iPhone library to select. Half the time I accidentally end up playing the song and not selecting. When I drag in ~100 tracks (Economist Magazine audio each week), I have to drag and hold the files I'm trying to transfer over iTunes for a good 5-8 seconds, before it processes what I'm trying to do.
 
All of these 'features' are astounding considering had they simply made drag and drop possible with the iPhone memory just registering as a portable hard drive (I've been using a player with drag a drop for the past 3-4 years) none of these things would be an issue.
 
This is why I don't use it to manage my library. I shudder to think how agonizing it would be.
 
 

 


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All of these 'features' are astounding considering had they simply made drag and drop possible with the iPhone memory just registering as a portable hard drive (I've been using a player with drag a drop for the past 3-4 years) none of these things would be an issue.
 
This is why I don't use it to manage my library. I shudder to think how agonizing it would be.
 
 

I'm, reluctantly, using an iPhone as my general phone (Any other phone on my plan would have cost an extra $15 a month) and this is the "Feature" that annoys me the most.
I own the phone, I should be able to drag and drop my own damn files.
 
It has, in fact, prevented me from suing my iPhone for any type of media because it requires iTunes. There is no way in hell I would install such an application on my computer so I simply carry around my S:flo2; it may be some extra weight, but the SQ and the lack of proprietary software is just undeniable.
 
Another thing I hate about iTunes is the unchangeable interface and the horrific quality of bought music and often even ripped music.

If you want to put music on your iPhone without dealing with iTunes on a regular basis, try Mediamonkey. Keep iTunes on your computer, for the updates you may need, but try Mediamonkey for just swapping tunes out on it....it may work better for you.

 

[Procession]

Well, I don't even have iTunes installed on any computer that I own, and I have my S:Flo2 for music and movies, so right now it's a nonissue, but still an annoying one. But the updates, well, they are just attrocious; my phone came with the new 4.0 iOS and it's crippled it, standby battery life of 1 and a half days, constant freezing and crashes. It is sometimes beyond unusable.

 
 

 

[lasraik]

I don't know how anyone uses iTunes for everyday listening, I think it's a cumbersome program.  I use it only to sync my iPod Touch.  Otherwise I use Fobar for everything else.  It's customizable and has a ton of cool features.  Admittedly most of them I don't use and some I don't completely understand, but the stuff I do is fun.

 

[andymodem]

I use iTunes only, but my computers are Macs so iTunes works great. Can't beat the ecosystem in my opinion with the Airport Express, Apple TV2 and iPhone. If I'm listening to something on my iPhone and happen to go downstairs I can touch a button and stream from the phone to the Airport Express, or the ATV hooked up to the home theater. I can also load up the Remote app on the iPhone and play the lossless files from my desktop Mac to the ATV2 or Airport Express.

 

[Mdraluck23]

MediaMonkey FTW.

 

[80r]

I can't stand iTunes.  It's so bad that when I introduced Foobar to my technoob girlfriend, she uninstalled iTunes and stopped using her iPod altogether. She plans on picking up a Cowon player as a replacement.

 

[Mdraluck23]

I still don't think iTunes is that bad. It's just so simple. It lacks features, and settings, but if I just want to listen, and find a song quickly, iTunes is great.
 
MediaMonkey is excellent though.