I’m using version 4.8 (iirc) right now, but it doesn’t have podcast support, and I’m tired of getting harassed to upgrade to 5.1 (5.2?).
Usually later versions of programs have more DRM restrictions, or simply suck more. What’s the dope on the latest Itunes? Good to go, or avoid like the plague? I need to get the podcasting going!
Dude, do it! 
iTunes is now at 6.0, and provides access to music videos and TV show episodes and stuff. I’m not sure what “DRM restrictions” means, but I haven’t noticed anything bad. I like the new version.
6.0.1.3 last I checked. DRM will only effect you if you have anything wrapped with FairPlay anyway.
What’s FairPlay?
Yeah, I second that. What is fairplay?
I haven’t messed with Podcasts at all, but a seriously useful new feature is the ability to group playlists into folders. That may have come out earlier than now, but I didn’t notice it. (This is version 5 on the Mac, don’t know how that might crrespond to Windows). Wow, does it make my iTuning experience easier to organize.
Holy shit! 
I’d never heard of playlist folders before, but I just clicked my File menu and there it is: New Folder! This is so cool!
Thanks for the tip!
(I’m running iTunes 6.0.1.3 on WinXP Pro, btw.)
Alright I guess I can make the jump, I’ll do it tonight. While I have this thread open, I guess I’ll ask a few other Itunes questions.
Anyone have an Ipod photo? How the hell do you get photos on there?
How do I subscribe to podcasts? Does that mean when I plug in my ipod, it automatically “fetches” the podcast?
FairPlay is what Apple calls their DRM. They take a normal AAC file and turn it into a related file, which is an AAC file containing DRM. That’s the file type you get if you buy something off iTunes. Even if Apple changed some of the DRM aspects with the latest release–which I don’t think they have–if you are using a Redbook CD, a MP3 file, or a normal MP4 file, DRM changes will have no effect. Similarly, if you’ve got an MPA file that you have stripped the DRM from, making it an MP4 file, you won’t see any difference.
I’m sorry. Mistake in the file naming. M4A is the file-type you will see for a DRMed file, M4P is the file-type you will see for anything encoded in the AAC format.
FWIW:
iTunes 6.0 breaks J-Hymn.
I don’t notice anything different except that the new one has ugly borders on the windows.
You can’t import .m3u playlists made by other mp3 player programs (such as MMJB). You can still drag-n-drop them from your playlist documents folder into iTunes so that the tracks in the custom playlist(s) are added into the iTunes library - but that non-iTunes playlist will not be added.
Importing playlists via .m3u/.txt File=> Import will error out with a (-50) message.
As a small aside, anyone gonna buy the iPod Flea or the iPod Vibrator? 
Won’t be a problem, but good to know.
Go to the iTunes Music Store and look under “Podcasts”. Most of them are free - just click on “Subscribe.”
Once you subscribe, iTunes checks for updates regularly (e.g. every hour) and downloads the newest ones automatically. Then it’s transferred to your iPod the next time you connect it.
Unfortunately the iPod only syncs with iTunes when it’s first connected, or when you manually select “synchronize”. So if you leave it connected overnight, and iTunes downloads a new Podcast during the night, in the morning you need to sync manually before disconnecting it. (Or disconnect it, then connect it again for a few minutes until the new podcasts are transferred.) I’m using version 5 though, so this may have changed in 6.
Yeah, wish I had known that before I upgraded. Ah well, the guy will fix J-Hymn eventually.
You can go back and get one of the older iTunes versions. Won’t help if you’ve bought songs already with 6.0, though.
That’s probably about all we can say about that. 
Interesting problem. I just upgraded, but my itunes library only has a 189 songs in it, compared to the 2000 on my ipod. It appears the the program is looking in my documents at a folder with mp3s. I either need to point the path back to the original library, or import everything off my ipod to a new folder.
Wtf?
Hmmm, I have no explanation why that happened, but I was able to reimport my itunes music folder with my 2000 songs on it so all is well.
That’s good to hear: I ordered an iPod last week that could arrive any day now :D, and I’d be sad if there were any “stealth” problems with iTunes!