About iTunes.

No, it's why some of us don't use Apple. We prefer to do things the way we want to do them, not how Apple makes us do things.

 

But that's all one does is click a song(s), then click the convert option. I don't get the confusion or hate for the procedure.

 

Are you speaking of Apple products or audio codecs? If products which and what other similar products/brands do you use that are "open source". If referring to audio codecs iTunes supports WAV, AIFF, ALAC (Apple Lossless) which has been open source for about six years. It does not support FLAC. Okay.

 

Products, programs/apps and yes FLAC

Okay.

 

I'm amused at the Apple rants. Why? There is a simple solution. Don't use their products. Why are people so intimidated by Apple products? I do not like MicroSoft products or Windows OS based anything. But I've not taken to the forums to grind my dislike and I never see this out there like you do with the anti-Apple-elitism. This type of backlash response that is repeatedly put out is both amusing and in a weird way interesting.

 

Specifically which products and programs that you use have a completely open architecture and operating system that do not have any parameters constraining their use. Which are "open".

I mean every product I own or use to the best of my knowledge has limitations or parameters within its design that must be adhered to.

 

umm wether I use w7 or ubuntu mate I can use whatever programs I want to do whatever it is I want without buying into or being forced into someone's ecosystem. Also my android phone nexus 6 works with everything I use, drag and drop and so forth. The products I use are all in my profile..

 

I use iTunes' version 10 even today because I couldn't handle the new designs after 10.
It's still compatible with things you buy there in the store, so why updating it? The cover flow feature (which isn't included in the later versions) is awesome, btw.

 

The cover art sometimes?

 

I really don't want to be argumentative and if I seem so I do apologize. I'm trying to understand how you may feel and others may feel who dislike Apple so. What I think I struggle with is if I prefer a Ford because it has features and capabilities that I like does that mean I must dislike Toyota who do it differently? Why does a like for A bring out a dislike for B especially when there are so many options? I have no argument over yours or anyone else's preferences on how to do things.

 

As I mentioned earlier you have my one real objection to iTunes updates. I miss CoverFlow.

 

It's not a dislike of apple specifically, as far as computers and mobile devices are concerned I've been into it for decades. All the stuff people always used before is still there and works universally. One of the reasons flac is great. It's hard for someone like that to make a huge leap into a platform like apple, if you see it from that point of you it makes you understand where people like that are coming from.

 

I totally get and agree with your point there. It the really aggressive ranting I see in other threads and other places about Apple that just mystifies me. I'm not asking why doesn't everyone like Apple like I do but why the almost sect like bashing that's what confuses. Anyways thanks for the response and I think I will exit stage left on these points.

 

I, too, am beyond puzzled by the type of comments that prompted you to post this thread. I've been using iTunes since i bought my first iPod in 2002 when they introduced a Windows-compatible one. Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky but i've never had much/many problems over 15 years of iPods and and 8 years of iPhones. Based on how well everything worked, and with the introduction of bootcamp that allows you to run Windows if need be (for work), I went with a Macbook Pro and haven't lived outside Apple's "walled garden" since. I like some version of iTunes more than others, certainly, and I've had a couple of snags here and there, but for the most part I have never had any problems. And mind you, my Macbook Pro is from 2008 and gasping a dying breath and everything still works.


what I always find interesting is that none of the alternatives (JRiver, etc.) are perfect but iTunes is supposed to be perfect? If they separated out all the uses (iTunes, iMovies, ibooks, apps, etc. etc.) into separate pieces of software people would still howl about that.

 

I love Macs. I think they are the most elegant solution for high end music and video production. They are the main OS of choice for creatives in the music and movie industry. I love my new Macbook Pro! The way they've integrated the newest version of Final Cut with the OS is amazing.

But iTunes? It's consumer garbage in my opinion. Endless, pointless updates do make it a pain in the butt and I certainly have no interest in buying content from their store.

But probably the biggest reason I don't use it? It sounds terrible compared to most digital sources I've heard. Even with the bit perfect add on it comes up way short for me.

I think Audirvana is a much better sounding playback software for computer sourced music. You can use iTunes for cataloging, but even that has gotten obnoxious and ugly.

Fo

 

They've taken out more useful things than they've put in IMO. And they seem to go out of their way to make it as ugly as possible. I don't even have artist icons for 80% of my library anymore....just those generic pink and blue microphone icons.

 

That's a laugh and a half right there.

Are you blind? I'm asking because the sheer amount of "Get a Mac" comments which are repeated here and everywhere else whenever anybody has a PC issue should be enough to show most reasonable people that there is quite a staggering number of Apple fanatics with their finger on the trigger just waiting to post that crap. It never fails and that comment is somehow interpreted as a springboard for launching into experiences with Apple products, regardless of the fact that thread doesn't have anything to do with Apple in the first place.

I love competition and in spite of the fact that Apple is a company I dislike in many ways, their presence allows for lower prices and more innovation so everybody wins. But to say that adopters of one platform are exclusively exposed to negative comments is rich.

Moreover, I'll say that for the 1200$ I spent to get my iPad Pro that I have every right in the world to rant about the manufacturer's failings which (yes) include the necessary use of iTunes. You better believe I won't be shy of expressing my opinions about it and if you have an issue with that, tough cookies. But posting what you wrote is hilariously inaccurate... which is both amusing and in a weird way interesting.

 

This brief exchange sums perfectly the issue. Which generally sits between the chair and the keyboard.

 

People complain that iTunes doesn't care about FLAC but few notice that it does use ALAC. I have a free and very-easy-to-find FLAC decoder so no biggie on my end. Takes two seconds and I have a usable file from the FLAC.

Ed

 

Dude, in case you didn't noticed, NOBODY ON EARTH wants music on CD anymore. They just go for the common man's needs. To this day, you still can purchase an external disc drive and rip CDs with iTunes. It's not like the fuction disappeared from the software.
What I'm saying : iTunes works fine and I don't understand your problem with it
What you're saying : Apple is the knight of the Dematerialization Congregation and it won't let me buy CDs

 

One interesting thing : why did FLAC become the audiophile standard when it should've been ALAC, since it's compatible with every platform ?

 

Maybe this is far too provocative to say this but I can't help but think that when people say they don't understand iTunes what they really mean is that they can't be bothered to understand it. If all you are doing is ripping CDs and buying from the music store it should be about as straight forward as it gets. The problems with iTunes come when things like Apple music starts to clash with everything that isn't Apple music. Especially when you try to use Apple Music to fill gaps in albums and a lot of the issues revolve around what rights Apple has been given on a particular album. For example, the soundtrack for A Single Man; Apple has rights for a lot of the songs on that album it just doesn't have the rights for them to come from that album so Apple music in an effort to be cleaver pulls them from albums where it does have the rights and then all hell breaks lose when it tries to reconcile that.
Fact is unless you are doing crazy things iTunes works perfectly.

 

iTunes has managed my music collection for many years and, while things about have changed that I don't love (format conversion is more hidden now than before), it works very well for everything I need it to do. I have no issues ripping CD's whatsoever. I just rip them Apple Lossless and that's it.

Ed

 

Perfect example of what I'm talking about. A zealot who can't recognize the failings of an application nor the fact that its interface is one of the clumsiest ones ever released from a high-profile developer.

Through the years, I've also encountered a number of error messages when doing such simple things as restoring a backup. Error messages which would be cryptic and no amount of troubleshooting could fix the issue regardless of the suggestions brought forth by Apple or other users.

Tons of people have echoed my statements here and elsewhere. The amount of intense hatred for iTunes is not solely found in misguided neophytes and yet you cling to your flawed concept that there's nothing wrong with something you like just because YOU've encountered no issues.

I have to wonder if you're trolling because I cannot believe that this level of shortsightedness could exist in any reasonable person's head.

 

I'm running an older version of iTunes because I don't like how many of the artist photos turned into microphone icons rather than the original photos, but other than that I've never had a problem with it.