iTunes - Blecch!

[Hetmann]

I got an iPod Nano a while back. I have been frustrated by iTunes on MS-Windows since day one. I have since upgraded my hardware and tried in earnest to get this thing loaded.

I get bizarre messages about my computer not being the one I registered with and I have had to accept the license and reregister my iPod countless times. It's ridiculous! Does anyone out there like iTunes? Am I just clueless or what?

[cantdrv55]

I hated iTunes when I first started using it three years ago. Now I think it's brilliant. You may have to reboot your Nano so that iTunes will recognize it or reload iTunes completely.

[mikester]

iTunes accounts can only be registered with 5 computers at a time. It's part of their Digital Rights Management (DRM).

What is means is that if you have a given iTunes download you can only load it on 5 devices. Devices can be computers or iPods, for example - say I download "Hot for teacher" on my own computer. I can then send that file to my wife's computer and when she tries to play it in itunes it will prompt her for *MY* iTunes account password. I can allow her to listen to my downloaded music by putting my iTunes user/pass into the prompt and then she will be able to play it. Apple DRM allows 5 such instances; once you log in to another "session" of DRM to log out in iTunes click advanced in the menu bar and then "deauthorize this computer." That'll free up a session; if you want to deauthorize all (say there are some stray ones out there or something) go to the apple store in iTunes and then click on your username up in the right hand of the menu bar. It should prompt you for your user/pass and then give you your account info including how many sessions you have active. If it is 5 it should let you deauthorize all.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

DRM sucks. Only use non-DRM mp3s and then you'll never have to worry about it.

[Hetmann]

All of my MP3s and ripped by me from my own CDs with no DRM. I'll try rebooting the iPod.

[FrayAdjacent911]

DRM sucks ballz. I prefer to 'sample' a few songs, and if I like a particular CD, I buy it, and rip it myself. 256kbps constant. Copy it however I like.

[JavaBrewer]

I've had nothing but problems with iTunes on PC. My buddy had a bad experience (iTunes on PC stopped recognizing his iPod) that even Apple tech could not resolve. He has been waiting 1 month for his replacement iPod...

I love the UI on the iPod and they are very price competitive but I like doing things my way which apparently iTunes/iPod don't like. I've been meaning to try out alternate music software but just haven't had the time plus I still have to burn and rip (to mp3) the 40 or so songs I purchased from iTunes online so that I can listen to them on industry *standard* devices.

[JonT]

My Nano crashed after 3 months. Apple replaced it in 1 week. Excellent service. I love Itunes--except no AC/DC!

[island911]

Originally posted by Hetmann
.. . Am I just clueless or what?

Well you likely expected straight forward file transfering. ...I know that I did. Yet itunes has all sorts of levels of control to make what should be straight forward, into a non-intuitive mess. (Digital Rights Management - as mikester said)

I have a nano, too. I have it fairly well figured out now; but I'm just not sure that I like the compromised music enough to keep-up with the overhead of itune's "control over the masses". . . and the resulting, always changing, work-arounds.

The music industry really thinks highly of itself. . . putting life-locks on the work of a few guys in a garage one day. For contrast, James Russell, some 40 years ago invented CD technology. More than a dozen patents, which all expired more than 20 years ago. Every CD that gets produced, and he gets squat. . . but if it's a Bettles album Michael Jackson gets a royalty.

[rattlsnak]

I had napster at first, and even with a 'napster compatible device' it sucked. never could get it to work right. itunes works great. Have had no issues whatsoever.

[campbellcj]

I love my Nano but iTunes software is lacking. It is still relatively new so I figure by the time it gets up to version 9 or 10 it should "work".

[msk1986911]

I've been using iTunes for about 3 years (on a Mac) with no issues...it would seem the solution is simple.

[JavaBrewer]

Very simple indeed, uninstall iTunes and no mo problem. I'm now looking at Musicmatch Jukebox (UI seems pretty lame) and Windoz Media Player but really haven't had a chance to use them much yet. For security I backed up all my mp3s to DVD for safe keeping...

[Hetmann]

Can you transfer mp3s to a Nano with Musicmatch? I thought I had to use iTunes.

[JavaBrewer]

Apparently Apple shipped MusicMatch with PC iPods before iTunes was available. I've read (and my friend experienced) that updating to latest iPod & iTunes software can *break* the wonder of Apple when running on PC. I'd guess MusicMatch (now a iTunes competitor) does support your Nano so long as you don't have iTunes installed at the same time. But then I don't have an iPod to test that theory...

Good luck

[RallyJon]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
DRM sucks. Only use non-DRM mp3s and then you'll never have to worry about it.

It seems so simple, doesn't it? If your software won't let you do what you want to do, then DON'T USE IT.

MP3 is the universal format. I can burn a $.10 CD and listen to it in my car, play it on a DVD player, access the whole collection through a Tivo, and load and play them on ANY music player ever made. Every device made is compatible with MP3s. What's the drawback?

[89911]

I've been using iTunes for the past 3 years and share it with my daughters mini, my wifes shuffle, and my 40 gb. I'm surprised that others have had problems with it. My 13 years old has mastered loading music from almost any format, shared, purchased, or other and is constantly altering playlist and others. Since I've loaded all my cd's on it, playing any song you have takes seconds rather then the archaic search for a cd and playing it. It really has changed how I listed to music. Hope things work out for you.

[Soterik]

ITunes works fine for me as well... I don't purchase music from their site, I use www.allofmp3.com with their allofmp3 Explorer, and it works fine. They have most anything that's available out there at 25% the cost of Itunes. I'm absolutely no techie, and supposedly you're not supposed to be able to buy music from other services and put it on Itunes....but I have, and it works for me.

E

[nostatic]

AAC sounds better. Depends on your ears and the system of course, but it is a technically superior compression algorithm than MP3. Plus the ITMS is damn convenient.

I don't use iTunes on the pc side other than on rare occasion, but on mac it is pretty flawless.