# I pit iTunes!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 28, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407 "2015-07-28T17:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/21 "2015-07-28T22:38:50Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I had a 3Gs at one point. It was a happy day when I dumped it for a Galaxy and deleted iTunes from my computer. I haven’t had to connect my phone to a PC since. I don’t believe it’s necessary to connect an iPhone to a PC either; you can set it up and use it without ever connecting to a PC. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/22 "2015-07-28T23:11:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t believe it’s necessary to connect an iPhone to a PC either; you can set it up and use it without ever connecting to a PC. This is great if true, can someone verify? The 3Gs had to be connected for updates and to transfer/backup anything, but that was a long time ago. If a 6 can be used without ever having to use iTunes, I would very possibly consider one as my next. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/23 "2015-07-28T23:34:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You know, it is possible to say “No” when iTunes asks to be the default program. That’s how I have it set up. I did not find it possible. I’d say “no” and it would still change my defaults. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/24 "2015-07-29T01:23:37Z")
iTunes used to be fairly good. It was always a little resource-hoggy and a pain if you had a large collection with multiple users, but for your average user it was straightforward and good. Then each subsequent change in the last few years makes it harder and harder to use. Like it should not be so hard to add art to an album, but it only works about half the time for me. The old “get info” might have had a dated look, but gdi it WORKED and that should be what mattered. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/25 "2015-07-29T01:29:13Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > The bigger problem is that there is some U2 album stuck in the ether that I can’t get rid of. I never bought it. I never wanted it. I desperately want to get rid of it. But every time I try to delete it from everything, it comes back. > > That U2 album is like herpes. What I found most irritating about that was the assumption that if I own an Apple product, then _of course_ I must love U2. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/26 "2015-07-29T01:48:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Seriously? People are still upset about that? Did you try the process shown [here](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201396)? Namely: > > “To remove this album: > Go to [Connecting to the iTunes Store.](https://itunes.com/soi-remove). > Click Remove Album to confirm you’d like to remove the album from your account. > Sign in with the Apple ID and password you use to buy from the iTunes Store. > You’ll see a confirmation message that the album has been removed from your account. > If you downloaded the songs to iTunes on your Mac or PC or to the Music app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you’ll need to delete them manually.” How the fuck was I supposed to know that I had to look online to find instructions and follow a link and sign in to iTunes just to delete a file? That said, I thank you sincerely. It appears to be gone now. I’m no Apple hater. I’m madly in love with my 6. I worship my iPad. I try to stump Siri playing name-that-tune. I may replace my craptop with a Mac when the time comes. But iTunes is a clunky asinine counter-intuitive piece of crap. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/27 "2015-07-29T01:55:53Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > iTunes used to be fairly good. It was always a little resource-hoggy and a pain if you had a large collection with multiple users, but for your average user it was straightforward and good. Then each subsequent change in the last few years makes it harder and harder to use. Like it should not be so hard to add art to an album, but it only works about half the time for me. The old “get info” might have had a dated look, but gdi it WORKED and that should be what mattered. During one of the updates, iTunes at a good number of items that I had ripped from my CD (which I no longer have) to my iPod. Oh, silly, naive me. I should’ve known to back the fuckers up elsewhere. And now I can’t get to that iPod, either, because it’s considered too old. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/28 "2015-07-29T02:41:53Z")
I assume Apple wants us all to eventually move to AppleMusic and I would not be at all amazed if at some point, like it happened with their desktop OS, they decided to simply orphan the original iPod your-own-media-actually-recorded-on-your-storage function. > [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > This is great if true, can someone verify? The 3Gs had to be connected for updates and to transfer/backup anything, but that was a long time ago. If a 6 can be used without ever having to use iTunes, I would very possibly consider one as my next. Yes, you can now operate iPhones as stand-alones, as my mother bears witness. You will have to use iCloud for backup, and do make sure you get one of the high memory capacity ones (64G or 128G) and leave yourself a hefty cushion, because iOS updates suck up wicked Gigs. A 16G iPhone is de facto still computer-dependent if you don’t keep it spare and spartan in apps and media content. Of course on the iPhone itself the native music apps are still iTunes and AppleMusic, but you don’t have to put them into your computer. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/29 "2015-07-29T02:49:53Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Yes, you can now operate iPhones as stand-alones, as my mother bears witness. You will have to use iCloud for backup, and do make sure you get one of the high memory capacity ones (64G or 128G) and leave yourself a hefty cushion, because iOS updates suck up wicked Gigs. A 16G iPhone is de facto still computer-dependent if you don’t keep it spare and spartan in apps and media content. > > Of course on the iPhone itself the native music apps are still iTunes and AppleMusic, but you don’t have to put them into your computer. Thanks for the info. I have a year or so to think about it, since I have everything native to Android including Drive for backup (and love my G6edge), but the music thing was never too big a deal since I’ve used Rhapsody since it was Napster. It’s everything else plus having iTunes on my computer at all that killed the deal. A friend has a 6Plus and we recently compared and contrasted our phones while out for coffee and came up pretty much a draw. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/30 "2015-07-29T03:02:54Z")
Good rant. For a company that makes such easy to use intuitive products iTunes stands out like a sore thumb as one of Apples shittier products. In addition to all the other complaints I love when I plug in my iPhone into my PC USB port for power or to transfer photos, iTunes pops up, freezes my computer and takes forever to shut down when I want to close it. I too am disappointed that such a big company that has had made so many innovative products can’t overhaul one of their signature brands and make it so easy to use my 82 year old mom, who’s never touched a computer in her life but learned how to use an iPad in a few days, can use it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/31 "2015-07-29T03:15:06Z")
Apple fanboi since Macintosh System 3 and the Macintosh Plus, but I detest iTunes. Girlfriend’s PC is at least temporarily kaput, downstairs. She wants 3 CD’s worth of tunes to be ripped and placed on her iPod for a vacation trip next week. I rip them (using software other than iTunes I assure you) then launch iTunes to load the suckers onto her iPod. Dialog pops up: Ya wanna synch what you’ve got in iTunes Library with this here iPod, which means erasing everything on it now? Or would you prefer to move all digital rights to current computer so that girlfriend’s computer won’t be able to play any of her iTunes Music Store purchases ever again? Or Cancel? I hit Cancel. Yeesh. OK, I’m still in iTunes. OK it still “sees” the iPod. I open the appropriate playlist and drag songs. Nothing happens. I call Apple tech support. They say this iPod is out of warranty and want to charge me $29 to explain what to do next. I say OK. Fifteen minutes with a person who seems unsure of the difference between an iPod and an iPad and doesn’t understand what I’m trying to do. Escalates to a senior tech, “John”. John says yeah that’s impossible, what you’re trying to do, gotta protect digital copyright ya know, so this iPod can only sync with your computer or your girlfriend’s computer, not both. I had previously checked a checkbox that said “manually manage your tunes” or some such thing, and while on the phone with John, noticed it was now unchecked. WTF? I recheck it and only then notice a new button at bottom, below the “Sync” button, labeled “Apply”. Hmm, I didn’t hit “Apply” before. Hit it now. Popup warns me that I must unmount then reconnect iPod for this to take effect, so I do. Now it lets me do it. Lets me drag-copy files into playlists on the iPod without erasing stuff. The very thing Mr Apple Genius John just finished telling me can’t be done and for which info I was charged $29. I still use Audion on my 10.6.8 Mac. I also have a home-grown FileMaker-based MP3 player I made that I may switch to (although of course it won’t encode CD tracks as MP3 files). Be damned if I’ll ever use iTunes. Hate it. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/32 "2015-07-29T03:17:35Z")
> [@funky\_little\_lee](#): > > It is a fucking train wreck! Never in my life have I had to run a program that was so user-unfriendly, un-intuitive, arduous, complicated, and just plain bizarre. I want to add a new playlist? I have to erase everything that’s already there in order to do that? Why can’t I find the photo folder on the device? Why do I have to worry about synching? Why can’t I just copy the stuff and be done with it? Why did the guys who make such a big deal out of inventing drag-'n-drop decide NOT to use it? Jesus God, it’d be easier to do it in DOS! iTunes is the resulting diarrhea when a monkey eats diseased elephant shit. That said, some of these problems are your own fault. The photos are in the Photos app. Photos is an Apple app and can’t be deleted, so it is there on the phone, you just don’t see it. You can also search for “photos.” You can drag and drop all you want. Connect the iPhone to your computer, go to the iPhone set up section in iTunes and check the “Manually manage music and videos” box. Your playlist problem doesn’t make much sense. It sounds like maybe you’ve just taken your cousins phone as is without setting it up as your own. You can’t really do that, you’ll have to wipe it first and then put on your own music, movies, etc. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/33 "2015-07-29T04:08:40Z")
I agree that iTunes was never a great program, but it used to be a hell of a lot better. I think I’ve mentioned before that Apple has pretty much lost me as a customer. They’ve discontinued the iPod Classic, I have no interest in an iPhone (I’m happy with my Nexus 5), don’t want an iPad, and all the decisions made regarding the MacBook lines means that I’m not going to buy another one of those once the two I have finally die for good. It’s always been the case that you didn’t have all the customization and choice with Apple that you did with their competition, starting as far back as the IBM PC, but now it feels like Apple has simply gone take it or leave it. It shows in their hardware, it shows in their software, and frankly I’m surprised they’re still doing as well as they are. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/34 "2015-07-29T04:15:20Z")
I have to say, I honestly don’t know how you all have so much trouble. I can burn disks, manage multiple devices. I’ve got movies, podcasts, audiobooks, ripped music, purchased music (both from Apple Store and Amazon). And I never have ANY of the problems people describe in these threads. Do I think iTunes is perfect? Am I an Apple fanboi? Not at all. What’s the difference for me? I dunno, maybe I RTFM first. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/35 "2015-07-29T08:39:18Z")
I hated i-tunes, Back when I still had the demonic fruit, I used to record meetings. Without fail, trying to find the file and get it onto my desktop was a nightmare. Not to mention drag and drop of images, Syncing issues Whatever else I flat out refuse to use an Apple phone of any description. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/36 "2015-07-29T11:10:51Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > A friend has a 6Plus and we recently compared and contrasted our phones while out for coffee and came up pretty much a draw. 🙂 I loved my Galaxy and was very happy with Android. I recently switched to an iPhone, just to see how iOS on a phone compared. Yes, a draw is a great description of the two. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/37 "2015-07-29T15:21:04Z")
Yeah, by now the systems are pretty much at parity for most users’ purposes. > [@russian\_heel](#): > > In addition to all the other complaints I love when I plug in my iPhone into my PC USB port for power or to transfer photos, iTunes pops up, freezes my computer and takes forever to shut down when I want to close it. Oh, and for a few generations now this is something else that can be chosen to NOT happen. Been years since plugging in my iPhones or iPods has triggered an iTunes launch. Like I said, iTunes’ deteriorating user-friendliness seems to me a plot to make us welcome whatever Apple brings next. At the same time, sure, some of the complaints do sound more like “why is the way\* I\* (would/want to) do it, not the preset default?”… But as **AHunter3** describes, even when there IS an easy way to change it, Apple does not exactly do much to point it out and would rather refer you to the complicated way if you will not just submit to letting the system make the choices for you. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/38 "2015-07-29T15:30:57Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Ooh, I hope someone pits the Office Ribbon next! Not to derail this thread (I have never used itunes), but I’d _thoroughly_ endorse that pitting. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/39 "2015-07-29T16:28:03Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Not to derail this thread (I have never used itunes), but I’d _thoroughly_ endorse that pitting. The joke here is that people have been upset with iTunes since forever, just like the Office ribbon (now 8 years old). Pittings of such are as useful and timely as shaking your fist at the rain. Here you go, though: > **[A brief thank you to Microsoft for all the changes in Office 2007.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=427568)** > > My beloved laptop, Calliope the II, has passed to that undiscovered country of which no tale speaks, obliging me to purchase a new one. I put off buying a new one for far too long because, frankly, I don’t believe in being first out of the gate when... > **[Fuck Microsoft Word 2007 and the fact that I'm forced to use it](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=451583)** > > This program is a piece of shit. The interface is hideous and gaudy, like a cheaply made electronic appliance with cheesy-assed “chrome” plastic finish. I find the stupid tabbed menu system to be a tremendous pain in the ass. After using Word 2003... > **[Microsoft = Spawn of Satan.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=487728)** > > As a change from the American Presidential Election and its attendant issues: I pit Microsoft. Office 2007, in particular. I know this is old hat but if I don’t publicly shriek in outrage and horror I’m going to 'splode. I don’t even know where... > **[Does anyone else think Word 2007 Sucks? Badly!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545060)** > > So the company I work for just gave me a new laptop. Great!!! 🙂 The one I had was about 6 years old. It came with Office 2007. I fired up Word 2007 for the first time this morning. At first glance I thought, “Hey this looks pretty cool!” After... ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407/40 "2015-07-29T19:45:51Z")
I used to love iTunes, but not I despise it. Somewhere along the line it converted all my playlists into one single folder full of thumbnails which can’t be viewed as lists. Moreover, I can’t figure out how to unmark the songs I’ve already listened to. Whenever I click on a new song, _it plays the list instead and appends the song I selected to the last of the list._ Why, oh why, does it do that? Does Apple WANT to alienate its user base again? Why can’t I just group select the songs I want to listen to LIKE I USED TO? Even Windows Media Player is better. Never ever thought I would recommend anything Windows over Apple. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-itunes/726407.md?page=3)