# iTunes without using iTunes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2012, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889 "2012-06-12T07:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mojo\_the\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Mojo\_the\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_the_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/21 "2012-06-12T19:26:40Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Um … right. That bit of arbitrary and capriciousness is why it’s terrible form. There is no _need_ to other than Apple Marketing deciding it should be that way. No more arbitrary than any other system requirements. In order to use certain features of Microsoft Office, I have to have the .NET frameworks installed. Would your frustration be any less if QuickTime and all the other faceless helper apps were all bundled directly into iTunes? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/22 "2012-06-12T19:43:14Z")
Okay, we get it, you are one of those people who prides yourself on keeping your computer “lean and mean”, or whatever, and you won’t touch Apple stuff with a 10-foot-pole because you think Apple Marketing made Apple’s iTunes developers use Apple’s own media library for their media player. Enough already. To the OP: just give an iTunes-using friend the gift card, and a list of songs you want him to purchase on your behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/23 "2012-06-12T19:43:15Z")
> [@Mojo\_the\_Monkey](#): > > No more arbitrary than any other system requirements. In order to use certain features of Microsoft Office, I have to have the .NET frameworks installed. > > Would your frustration be any less if QuickTime and all the other faceless helper apps were all bundled directly into iTunes? I think you need to look up ‘arbitrary’ in the dictionary. I don’t think it means what you think it means. Making a comparison between Apple’s need for Quicktime and Office’s need for .NET framework is apples and windows. Given that we’re running a few Macs, PCs and Linux boxes here, I have no cause to get dragged into a fanboy argument. Suffice as to say, Apple has some shitty business practices. This is one of them. The Apple Tax isn’t just in dollars for design overpriced hardware, it’s also a tax on time–like having to chase after programmes and jump through hoops to uninstall. As to the edit, yes, that _would_ make a difference. If it wanted to install its own player and a host of other bloatware\*\*–but let you uninstall everything at once or choose what ‘features’ you were installing–\*\*then yes, that would make a difference. And if we had some ham would could make ham and eggs if we had some eggs. That’s _not_ the situation. In fact, it’s one of the chief reasons _not_ to install the bloatware in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/24 "2012-06-12T20:07:24Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > To the OP: just give an iTunes-using friend the gift card, and a list of songs you want him to purchase on your behalf. A reasonable suggestion if I actually had an iTunes-using friend in the vicinity that I’d be willing to impose upon. The only ones I can think of now live in Brussels and Munich respectively. That might be the best bet actually, we’ll be dropping by in the summer so could do it then. Hopefully their accounts will recognise the gift card? Actually no, I’ve just googled and you can’t redeem it outside the country you bought it. Gahhhhhhh! ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/25 "2012-06-12T20:12:18Z")
I sympathize. I had the same problem, and I think it’s almost criminal that Apple won’t just sell over the web like virtually all of its competitors do. iTunes is terrible, terrible software. I ended up giving the card away to a friend, “re-gifting” it in the Seinfeld-ian language. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/26 "2012-06-12T20:17:19Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > A reasonable suggestion if I actually had an iTunes-using friend in the vicinity that I’d be willing to impose upon. The only ones I can think of now live in Brussels and Munich respectively. > > That might be the best bet actually, we’ll be dropping by in the summer so could do it then. > Hopefully their accounts will recognise the gift card? > > Actually no, I’ve just googled and you can’t redeem it outside the country you bought it. > > Gahhhhhhh! You may be interested in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653809)thread. It’s asking about one (of several) sites that facilitate the exchange of gift cards. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/27 "2012-06-12T20:17:47Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > I sympathize. I had the same problem, and I think it’s almost criminal that Apple won’t just sell over the web like virtually all of its competitors do. iTunes is terrible, terrible software. > > I ended up giving the card away to a friend, “re-gifting” it in the Seinfeld-ian language. Yep, pissed me off no end this has, all for the sake of £25. I think I’ll get her to ebay it. The little we’d gain from the full value isn’t worth whatever hassle I’d have to put up with. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889/28 "2012-06-12T20:50:57Z")
> [@Mojo\_the\_Monkey](#): > > Are you one of those people who mistakenly believes that AAC files are a proprietary Apple file format that cannot be played on non-Apple devices? I’m a person who believes that AAC files are a format that cannot be played on some of my non-Apple devices. Windows computers - sure, I know that I could get something other than iTunes to play them on, as long as they’re not DRM. Droid? Probably. But I also use other digital music devices that certainly wouldn’t know what to do with an AAC file. The new stereo that I had installed in my car, for instance, supports MP3 files and WMA, on a data CD or flash drive. AAC isn’t proprietary, but it isn’t widely supported on non-Apple devices, as far as I’ve seen. **Novelty Bobble** : Good luck with eBay! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-without-using-itunes/624889.md?page=1)