[byronkim]

While I agree that the PC World stance is a little overstated (I'm getting tired of journalists writing exaggerated articles to get 'hits'), I do agree that iTunes is sorely in need of an overhaul or at least a conceptual update. It's pretty much been the same for years and is getting a little long in the tooth. I'm definitely getting a strong sense of complacency on Apple's part resulting from being the long time dominant player in the market.
In that sense, they'll never be AOL, but it's definitely losing it's Apple-innovation feel.
My biggest gripe, is that it's become a little to central to everything media (music, movies and now app's) but is still exhibiting the structure of a music store...case in point, it's still called iTunes(!) I think that there needs to be a bit more customization of how we interact with different types of media.

[rutledgek]

While I do agree that it would be better to have a setting to store video in one place and music in a different one, there is a different work around that is useful. I believe that if you hold down option when you drag and drop, itunes will do the opposite of what is checked in the preference. So if you want it to organize most of the time, you would have that checked, and then hold option when you drag the video files into itunes. The only issue arises is if you use consolidate library. It will try to move everythng over to the library.

[context]

The problem is that PC World complained about the wrong things; but there is plenty for an iTunes power user to gripe about. (For instance, iTunes is so poor at file management that I now have 1,400 subfolders inside of my primary music folder.) Mr. Breen's time would be better spent reviewing the new third-party add-on, PowerTunes, than sneering at an irrelevant PC World article that was directed at Windows users. And instead of betting and guessing about DRM and what users need, maybe he could do some actual reporting and find out the truth. Rather than wading through a puerile defense of iTunes, I want to read some critical analysis.

[Blake]

I totally agree with #1. It is painful to completely install iTunes whenever a new version comes out. I have Windows XP, and recently went from dial-up to high-speed. Even with the high-speed, it still takes a little while to download the installer (it took over three hours with dial-up), and even longer to install. My computer is on the slow side, too, so that adds more time. It actually takes so long on my computer that I've put off installing the most recent version.
Maybe I'll get to that the next few releases of iTunes, or when they come out with version 8.

[mac_minion]

Export m3u's from Itunes on Windows with a free download:
http://www.ericdaugh...v/itunesexport/
As far as #3 goes, that to me is the Windows way of doing things and I hate it. I don't want stuff showing up in my library that I didn't put there.

[mac_minion]

Then Apple has to have a patch for umpteen prior versions of iTunes, or then you would have to download this patch, before downloading that patch, bad idea. One file makes sure the download will work for everyone, know matter what they are upgrading from.

[kgvs]

"Didn't you read the article? Of course you can. I just did." I can write whatever I want too, but I don't.

"it's only 60MB" Well I guess when you don't pay for Apple's bandwidth sure it's only 60MB times however many millions download it. Vista's Service Pack 1 downloads a small file first, and then it analyzes the OS to download only what it needs not the whole service pack. I'm not sure how you came up with the 727MB file, but I looked it up and it's 434.5MB (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=B0C7136D-5EBB-413B-89C9-CB3D06D12674&displaylang=en). With Apple, you have to download the whole 561MB file to upgrade to 10.5.4.

Dial-up? Which Mac was the last one to have one preinstalled? Check your facts before writtig whatever it is you want to write.

[Chris Breen]

I'm sorry, I missed the point in all this. Other than spleen venting did you have something to say?

[kgvs]

Yes. it's a poorly written article. :)

[Chris Breen]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[Luis_Alejandro]

Do PC users really need help information about the meaning of a "check box"?
Include also some about "menu", "button"... etc.

[bear90039]

In response to "Hate" # 3:
Have you tried the "Get Album Artwork" from the "Advanced" menu? It does just that. (If iTunes sells the same track or album)
Knowledge is power. Hate less.

[bear90039]

You can do this. Open iTunes prefs. Go to Advanced, Under General. Uncheck box: Copy files to iTunes miusic folder when adding to library. Put the video files wherever you want them. Open ITunes and add them to the Library from the file menu.

[bear90039]

I guess I'm not a hater but I do have peeves. One I wish to express is "Genre". I wish Apple would replace Genre with Tags. (like Gmail recently did with folders) Let me explain. My "Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack" could be tagged with Disco, also with Dance Music, also with 70's Music, and also with Soundtracks. With Genre I have to chose one.
Makes cross referencing and grouping a manual labor.
I don't Hate, I'm just a little peeved.
If somebody up there reads this, please fix it.