OT: ITunes

[Scottie]

I'm about ready to kick some IAss. I just updated my ITunes from a 4.0 version to the latest 6.0 version and it has ruined ITunes. It will no longer play any music. It's not that the speakers aren't plugged in, it's just that ITunes will not play any music. At all. From my database of stored music on my computer it won't play. From a CD it won't play. From ITunes music purchasing store it won't play. It just won't play.

All of a song's information will appear on the banner that runs across the top but ITunes will not play the music. I can see where the file is located on my computer and all that stuff, but the stupid program will just not let me play anything. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling four times already all to no avail. Can you guys recommend another music "jukebox" program that works similarly to ITunes but doesn't all of the sudden suck.

Thanks, and sorry for the rant.

[dean]

I just use either windows media player or winamp.  Either way work fine for me!  I never liked Itunes mainly because it took up too much memory when I ran it [this computer gets a bit slow] so I just didn't use it.

Depends on what features you are after though I guess so I really don't know.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

One warning, music purchased from Apple may not play on another player.  I believe they encode their stuff.  I like their products, but I think they are acting a bit Microsoft with the music business.
-Ed

[Ash]

I used Realplayer for years before my hard drive crashed out on me.
It's a solid program for playing all kinds of music and I never had any problems with it.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Ed,

You are correct.  Most of Apple's music is in AAC format, which is mainly only used w/ Apple products.

[Scottie]

The AAC format was one of the toughest formats to deal with when I wanted to use the music file in another program. I tried unsuccessfully for months to use music I had ripped with ITunes in Adobe Premiere Pro and Premiere would just not let me do it. I finally went searching on the internet for a converter and haven't had too many problems since, but those few months cost me precious time and some dignity when it came around to producing a final project that had no music. *Shakes fist at Apple* Stuuuupid Apple.

[Neville]

I hate Apple. First they delberately ruin the Apple II and the Apple IIGS, and then, years after, when you are used to their Quicktime player they use your dependence on it to play movie trailers to make you install the whole iTunes package. I almost inmediately turned my attention towards Quicktime Alternative. Same thing for Real Player, you can do the same with Real Alternative these days. You can get both from www.free-codecs.com

On the audio side, I use WinAmp from years ago, and it works flawlessly. Plus you can create / edit any MP3 file just with freeware utilities like GolsWave Editor. Sonique, a similar player, is also OK, but I don't know if it is in development anymore.

[AndyC]

Used to be a huge Apple fan, back before Windows became simpler and the Mac OS became more complicated. Still use a Mac at work, but have paid practically no attention to the music technology Apple has been putting out. Like all their previous products, ipods are too frigging expensive.

For my home listening, I use Musicmatch Jukebox, because I like the way it's organized and the sound enhancement technology that comes with it. Have used it for three or four years. However, I do all my ripping with Windows Media Player, because it's faster at that. For managing and playing files, and burning music CDs, I use Musicmatch.

[Neville]

You really shouldn't do your ripping through the Windows Media Player, because it encodes your WMA / MP3 so they only play in your PC. There are dozens of freeware apps you can use instead.

[dean]

Whilst I've never come across a problem like Neville has outlined with Windows Media player, personally I use 'Creative Playcenter' for all my mp3 making and cd ripping.  No real reason but it works well and I've had no trouble.  As for playing the music, media center does the trick for me, but I used to use winamp a while back [I only stopped because I didn't like the updated version, despite nothing being different at all.]

Anyway, to add to the original post: iTunes annoys the crap out of me, but what can you do really, I have to use the damn thing to get my ipod organised.

[AndyC]

Can't say I've ever had that problem with Media Player either.

[BeyondTheGrave]

I guess I am still the only person who buys CDs and owns a CD player

[Neville]

Whenever I buy a CD, I listen to the whole thing a couple of times and then convert the tracks I like to MP3, so I can listen to them on my PC without switching CDs.

[Scottie]

Ha. I still buy CDs. In fact the majority of my music on my computer is simply copies of my CD's. It's on there and in ITunes for convenience sake. ITunes organized music by title, author, length, album, and pretty much any other category you could think of, and it was all right in front of me to pick at a whim, plus it told you how many times you'd played a song, plus when the last time you played it was. It was nice. Oh well, I guess all I really need is a music player and a CD burner.

What do you guys suggest to be the best free CD burner?

[Neville]

I own a Benq DW1620, which is a DVD Dual Layer burner. It sells for about $45, and had excellent reviews around when I bought it. You are most likely to find more advanced models these days.