Shoutbox

I find it the best media player, in terms of GUI simplicity, fast search, etc. Nevertheless I heard many people complain about it being "proprietary". What is it exactly, in simple words, that iTunes can't do due to it being proprietary?

erm... who's complaining?

because if we don't, who will?

cause it's a whore. a bad one.

iTunes sucks basically.

Uses lots of memory, installs that crappy quicktime crap. etc.

Winamp  > * > iTunes

But themain complaint I read about is that iTunes doesn't allow copying MP3 files form the Ipod into the PC...is that so?

quote:

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Originally posted by Dazmo

Winamp  > * > iTunes

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It's true, I recently made the switch and hell am I going back!

I quite like iTunes personally.  I have never used winamp but compared to media player I far prefer it to take care of my music library.  I still use WMP for once off listening to songs or watching movies but for my main music I like iTunes for the reasons above and the podcasts even if the memory use is high I don't really mind it.  Plus I have an iPod so its just easier this way.

quote:

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Originally posted by alegator
But themain complaint I read about is that iTunes doesn't allow copying MP3 files form the Ipod into the PC...is that so?

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Yes, exactly right.

Also, it's proprietory in that it's closed source (only Apple has the source code, and only they update it. MPlayer, for example, is open source, and there are different GUIs available for it (there actually is no official GUI for Windows), custom builds of it with different features.

Another effect of it being proprietory is that it will only connect with your portable media player if you use an IPod. By design, Apple prefer's it to be the only software that will connect with IPods, but others have made software that connects with IPods as well.

ITunes is also proprietory in that it refuses to play lots of formats, notably Windows Media. It can open Windows Media, but will only open it to convert it to a different format before adding it to your library.

I'm Mac style, ITunes only lets you have one music library, other software lets you keep multiple libraries (keep one for your own music, one for your parents music etc). Each library has it's own tracks, ratings, play counters. Songs can be in multiple libraries at once.

Related note: EMI, one of the biggest record companies is going to remove the DRM protection on all their songs so people can use the MP3 songs they bought on other devices as well.

The biggest complaint about the iTunes and iPod is that bought MP3s (thus with DRMprotection) can only be played on those devices.

But EMI has announced that it will offer its song library without the digital rights management (DRM) restrictions that have proved to be unpopular. This will allow these songs to be played on a wide variety of devices, not just specific ones controlled by the DRM setup.

In addition, the DRM-free songs from EMI will available at a much higher bit-rate than the current versions. Though, they will costs a little bit more.

"By providing DRM-free downloads, we aim to address the lack of interoperability which is frustrating for many music fans. We believe that offering consumers the opportunity to buy higher quality tracks and listen to them on the device or platform of their choice will boost sales of digital music," said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group.

Apple's iTunes Store is the first to offer EMI's songs without DRM. iTunes will sell individual AAC formated tracks at twice the sound quality of existing downloads, with their DRM removed, at a price of $1.29/€1.29/£0.99.

iTunes will continue to offer consumers the ability to pay $0.99/€0.99/£0.79 for standard sound quality tracks with DRM still applied.

Complete albums from EMI Music artists purchased on the iTunes Store will automatically be sold at the higher sound quality and DRM-free, with no change in the price.

Consumers who have already purchased standard tracks or albums with DRM will be able to upgrade their digital music for $0.30/€0.30/£0.20 per track.  All EMI music videos will also be available on the iTunes Store DRM-free with no change in price.

http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm