Why not iTunes rather than Media Player

N6BER · 03-23-2007, 12:17 PM

It sure would be nice if you could use iTunes rather than Media Player. Is there some good/technical reason why not or it's just because SD wants to stay totally tied into to Microsoft for everything?

jAyRoCkS24r · 03-23-2007, 05:13 PM

Why would i-tunes be better?

2k1Toaster · 03-23-2007, 05:17 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by N6BER

It sure would be nice if you could use iTunes rather than Media Player. Is there some good/technical reason why not or it's just because SD wants to stay totally tied into to Microsoft for everything?

Well WMP is well supported and already on everyones system with XP and Vista. ITunes would require some liscensing anyways.

And who would want that bloated software running on their system anyways. iTunes is horrid. Must be a mac fanboy.

Quote: Originally Posted by jAyRoCkS24r

Why would i-tunes be better?

skiman · 03-23-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

And who would want that bloated software running on their system anyways. iTunes is horrid. Must be a mac fanboy.

hahahhahahaha lord knows thats the only reason i love itunes over other media players. :P

EvilLawnGnome · 03-23-2007, 06:50 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

And who would want that bloated software running on their system anyways. iTunes is horrid. Must be a mac fanboy.

I second that one. I am still cursing myself for EVER installing that retched software. It destroyed every single one of my ID3 tags in my library. Not only that, but it is really not nearly as full featured or as fast as WMP. Don't get me wrong, I DESPISE WMP, but it is the lesser of two evils.

jonessc · 03-23-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by EvilLawnGnome

I second that one. I am still cursing myself for EVER installing that retched software. It destroyed every single one of my ID3 tags in my library. Not only that, but it is really not nearly as full featured or as fast as WMP. Don't get me wrong, I DESPISE WMP, but it is the lesser of two evils.

Naamanf · 03-23-2007, 10:27 PM

I would vote for Fubar above the others for a media player.

grayvader · 03-24-2007, 05:49 PM

iTunes...
We can only assume the guy is joking.

parksgm · 03-27-2007, 01:28 AM

Apparent Windows stability issues aside, iTunes blows away WMP in terms of usability and interface design. There is no comparison...and that's why you see people requesting that the StreetDeck music interface be made more like iTunes, and NOT more like WMP.

Don't believe me? Ah, but the consumer electronics marketplace has spoken for me... Integration with the iTunes user interface and resultant overall ease of use is why the iPod became and remains the dominant music player.

Now, the above comments don't mean that there aren't good reason to use WMP...as 2k1Toaster points out, WMP is preinstalled on every (or almost every) Windows PC.

EvilLawnGnome · 03-27-2007, 08:48 AM

Just because the iPod is popular doesn't mean that iTunes is. iTunes is being used because most people don't know that there is an alternative. As for the interface... that is a personal judgement. I for one hate the itunes interface. Don't like WMP's either though. The are both poorly put together and are way too bloated. I'll be happy when SD ditches the use of an external media player, and startes using one that is integrated into the program itself. That would make the footprint much smaller, and make it so all of the unused features of WMP don't have to be loaded just to play music. It would also allow them to release a developer kit for it, and let us tinker with the inner workings so that it fits our needs.

Ces///M3 · 03-27-2007, 09:15 AM

ever since winamp came out with ipod sync capability... itunes has been just a memory for me.... thank god at that

breaker021 · 03-27-2007, 10:32 AM

winamp for the win. i've been using the oldest most crustiest winamp version for all of my mp3s/wma files. the older versions of winamp, unlike the newer ones, doesnt want to take over your entire desktop and play every media file known to man... i just wanted a fast and simple mp3 player
- sh00k

parksgm · 03-27-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by EvilLawnGnome

Just because the iPod is popular doesn't mean that iTunes is. iTunes is being used because most people don't know that there is an alternative. As for the interface... that is a personal judgement. I for one hate the itunes interface. Don't like WMP's either though. The are both poorly put together and are way too bloated. I'll be happy when SD ditches the use of an external media player, and startes using one that is integrated into the program itself. That would make the footprint much smaller, and make it so all of the unused features of WMP don't have to be loaded just to play music. It would also allow them to release a developer kit for it, and let us tinker with the inner workings so that it fits our needs.

You missed my point. One of, if not the, main reason that the iPod is popular is because of the iTunes interface and integration. If you read the earlier reviews for the iPod and iTunes, you'll find that most list the iTunes interface as one of the distinguishing factors between the iPod and the competition.

No reason to believe that I'll be changing any minds here, as personal preference will be the determining factor for each user's choice, but I think it's fair to say that the majority of people prefer the iTunes style interface...after all, WMP comes preinstalled on every Windows PC and has a MUCH larger installed base, and iTunes has made significant marketshare inroads despite that handicap.

That said, I hate bloatware as much as the next person, so I'd love it if iTunes was more "modular", allowing unwanted components to be disabled from loading at startup (such as the iTunes music/movie/TV store, podcast support, etc.), however, since Apple makes money from that integration, I doubt they'll be ever be made modular. Same goes for similar features in WMP.

beefHeart · 03-27-2007, 02:49 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ces///M3

ever since winamp came out with ipod sync capability... itunes has been just a memory for me.... thank god at that

I'm with you...

I have always found iTunes to clunky, unintuitive, ugly, hunk of junk like most of apples software. Apppleworks anyone.

WMP is not much better.

N6BER · 03-27-2007, 03:45 PM

I just wanted to see what the feelings are of those here

but I almost felt like some wanted to bite my head off. BTW, I have my issues with both iTunes and WMP both of which can be a royal PITA.

That said I just want to get my iTunes library, audio, video, pictures, album artwork and playlists tranfered to SD skipping only the protected AAC files. That way there is no need for connecting my iPod to SD. How to do it is the question.

I agree that SD should have it's own player and not have to use WMP. The problem is not audio and photos but video, i.e. DVD, playback. To sell the product then need a legal set of decoders. Darn the

DMCA.

So if SD did their own player it would be to their advantage to support both WMP and iTunes library formats. This could be done internally using either format importing and converting either format to SD's own internal format. Doing this allows SD to cover the entire market . You can maintain you media on whichever system you like and push or pull it to SD through the Wifi or Via a USB FlashDrive.

IMHO