Craig Grannell writes for TechRadar UK, “Below are the 11 things we’d like to see Apple change in iTunes 11.”
1. Embrace the cloud
2. Make podcast subscriptions stick
3. Improve app management
4. Enable global view options
5. Borrow from iOS
6. Get non-iTunes artwork
7. Expand Ping
8. Improve rather than regress usability
9. Improve the artwork window
10. Sort out the Windows version
11. Sort out the Mac version
Read more about all 11 points in the full article here.
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#12. Unbundle it like they did for iOS. player, store, ping, etc.
#12. Unbundle it like they did for iOS. player, store, ping, etc.
And make sure custom made ringtones aren’t erased! I have a basic mistrust of syncing in general and prefer to manually manage everything. I love Apple stuff but still find iTunes too restrictive and DRM paranoid – always punish the customer managing his legitimate collection ig media if at all possible! If while syncing it doesn’t see something in your iTunes library instead of auto-erasing it it should ask to merge.
And don’t get me started using a device over multiple Macs (I have 4).
And make sure custom made ringtones aren’t erased! I have a basic mistrust of syncing in general and prefer to manually manage everything. I love Apple stuff but still find iTunes too restrictive and DRM paranoid – always punish the customer managing his legitimate collection ig media if at all possible! If while syncing it doesn’t see something in your iTunes library instead of auto-erasing it it should ask to merge.
And don’t get me started using a device over multiple Macs (I have 4).
clouds are slow unreliable and generaly suckie
apple does do some clould things but they keep it to a minimum for a reason
clouds are slow unreliable and generaly suckie
apple does do some clould things but they keep it to a minimum for a reason
Have ‘watched folders’ that you can add music to and iTunes will automatically add them to the iTunes library.
Without doubt, this is the number 1 problem I come across with people having problems understanding how iTunes manages files.
Have ‘watched folders’ that you can add music to and iTunes will automatically add them to the iTunes library.
Without doubt, this is the number 1 problem I come across with people having problems understanding how iTunes manages files.
I’ve been lobbying Apple thru their feedback site, to allow the items at the top of the source list to stay in place when scrolling the playlist window. It’s pain to keep scrolling back and forth between library and specific playlists.
You’d think this wouldn’t be a big deal to change.
I’ve been lobbying Apple thru their feedback site, to allow the items at the top of the source list to stay in place when scrolling the playlist window. It’s pain to keep scrolling back and forth between library and specific playlists.
You’d think this wouldn’t be a big deal to change.
Dead link for anyone else?
Dead link for anyone else?
Enable a revert to the old Visualizer.
I realize they continue to improve ad enhance the Visualizer, but that “Flying Orbs” theme got old after twenty minutes. It’s really old, now. . . . I really miss the old version.
Enable a revert to the old Visualizer.
I realize they continue to improve ad enhance the Visualizer, but that “Flying Orbs” theme got old after twenty minutes. It’s really old, now. . . . I really miss the old version.
iTunes will be fine tuned in time.
Patience restless consumers patience…..
iTunes will be fine tuned in time.
Patience restless consumers patience…..
Want input and results ?
http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html
Want input and results ?
http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html
@Jamie: ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Automatically Add to iTunes is your friend (and mine).
@Jamie: ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Automatically Add to iTunes is your friend (and mine).
The most major issue I have with iTunes is that my playlists don’t sync to my iPhone with the same sort order that they appear in iTunes.
I want to be able to merge podcasts. I want Apple to make it easier for broadcaster not named Rush Limbaugh to offer podcast subscriptions. I want to be able to edit Podcast dates. I listen to shows that offer paid bonus material and managing the metadata on those bonus shows is a pain. I want much, much more control over how podcasts stick around, c’mon Apple I want to keep the latest ### unheard podcasts or unheard podcasts less than ## days old, delete all the heard ones, and be able to type in those numbers rather than use your g–d—ed preselected menus.
And please let me create a smart playlist based on lyrics. I want to be able to fill in my lyrics, which I can do in an automated fashion, but it will take decades to accomplish if I can’t just play the songs without lyrics. On the same line let me create a smart playlist based on album art so I can sort out the blank items.
Ping: I could care less about Ping. I’m old enough to know what I like, don’t care what anyone else likes, and will never use that bloat. Could Apple please give me the option to turn it off altogether? The same with Genius.
———-
@Peter Blood: Erase ringtones? Huh? If you have a basic mistrust of technology why use it? I’ve never had an issue syncing ringtones.
The most major issue I have with iTunes is that my playlists don’t sync to my iPhone with the same sort order that they appear in iTunes.
I want to be able to merge podcasts. I want Apple to make it easier for broadcaster not named Rush Limbaugh to offer podcast subscriptions. I want to be able to edit Podcast dates. I listen to shows that offer paid bonus material and managing the metadata on those bonus shows is a pain. I want much, much more control over how podcasts stick around, c’mon Apple I want to keep the latest ### unheard podcasts or unheard podcasts less than ## days old, delete all the heard ones, and be able to type in those numbers rather than use your g–d—ed preselected menus.
And please let me create a smart playlist based on lyrics. I want to be able to fill in my lyrics, which I can do in an automated fashion, but it will take decades to accomplish if I can’t just play the songs without lyrics. On the same line let me create a smart playlist based on album art so I can sort out the blank items.
Ping: I could care less about Ping. I’m old enough to know what I like, don’t care what anyone else likes, and will never use that bloat. Could Apple please give me the option to turn it off altogether? The same with Genius.
———-
@Peter Blood: Erase ringtones? Huh? If you have a basic mistrust of technology why use it? I’ve never had an issue syncing ringtones.
The old visualized is in the View menu.
@Jamie there is a folder in the iTunes folder called “automatically add to iTunes. Will that one do?
The old visualized is in the View menu.
@Jamie there is a folder in the iTunes folder called “automatically add to iTunes. Will that one do?
It’s still called iTunes – even if it never could do much with lyrics.
It’s still called iTunes – even if it never could do much with lyrics.
Change the name to something more general. It’s not just for music any more!
Change the name to something more general. It’s not just for music any more!
It continually amazes me how many otherwise smart people I encounter who don’t know how sync works.
It continually amazes me how many otherwise smart people I encounter who don’t know how sync works.
it would be nice if iTunes managed classical music better… it is a nightmare right now…
it would be nice if iTunes managed classical music better… it is a nightmare right now…
is it just me or does ping seem like a bomb?
is it just me or does ping seem like a bomb?
I think it will become OS 11.
I think it will become OS 11.
Support and or auto convert several video formats to connected devices. Now there are a lot of vodcasts that don’t play on my iPod touch.
Support and or auto convert several video formats to connected devices. Now there are a lot of vodcasts that don’t play on my iPod touch.
1. Allow users to use “Explicit” tags for content added from CD
2. Add sub-genres or the ability to specify more than one genre (because a Soundtrack may also be Alternative, Children’s Music may also be Pop or Disney, Holiday music may also be Christmas, etc.)
1. Allow users to use “Explicit” tags for content added from CD
2. Add sub-genres or the ability to specify more than one genre (because a Soundtrack may also be Alternative, Children’s Music may also be Pop or Disney, Holiday music may also be Christmas, etc.)
Oh yeah, a few more things:
Visualize lyrics, the current album cover, or both in addition to the old option and new options.
Allow me to create song aliases. For example, I have “Hotel California” on both The Eagle’s Greatest Hits and Hotel California. It’s the same version in both places.I don’t need two duplicate files, but it would be nice to keep both albums complete.
Allow me to create a smart playlist to help me find broken/missing songs.
Better handling of aliases in the Apple file system. I keep my iTunes library on my home server, but it would be nice to be able to sync single items when I’m away from home without having to create multiple libraries and swapping.
———-
@ Macromancer: I think your suggestion is most helpful to pirates, that it isn’t ever going to be high on Apple’s To Do List.
Oh yeah, a few more things:
Visualize lyrics, the current album cover, or both in addition to the old option and new options.
Allow me to create song aliases. For example, I have “Hotel California” on both The Eagle’s Greatest Hits and Hotel California. It’s the same version in both places.I don’t need two duplicate files, but it would be nice to keep both albums complete.
Allow me to create a smart playlist to help me find broken/missing songs.
Better handling of aliases in the Apple file system. I keep my iTunes library on my home server, but it would be nice to be able to sync single items when I’m away from home without having to create multiple libraries and swapping.
———-
@ Macromancer: I think your suggestion is most helpful to pirates, that it isn’t ever going to be high on Apple’s To Do List.
Make it easier to find the $.69 songs.
Make it easier to find the $.69 songs.
I like how they grayed out the icons. It looks much cooler now, and the fact that the only color on the screen is from the album artwork is great. The new album cover view within the list view is great once you get it arranged the way you like it! Don’t think so? try it on acid.
I like how they grayed out the icons. It looks much cooler now, and the fact that the only color on the screen is from the album artwork is great. The new album cover view within the list view is great once you get it arranged the way you like it! Don’t think so? try it on acid.
12. Get rid of that new hideous amateurish iTunes logo!
12. Get rid of that new hideous amateurish iTunes logo!
Until data caps get outlawed or killed by consumer outrage, the cloud streaming for HQ media is crippled. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner pretty much control the ISP market in most of the US and they want Data caps.
Until data caps get outlawed or killed by consumer outrage, the cloud streaming for HQ media is crippled. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner pretty much control the ISP market in most of the US and they want Data caps.
I want to add: No more white text on a black background. It used to be all the rage on the web, and it’s gone now, and there’s a reason for that.
I can’t read it, and it makes my eyes hurt. Give me at least an option for dark text on a light background so I can buy stuff.
I want to add: No more white text on a black background. It used to be all the rage on the web, and it’s gone now, and there’s a reason for that.
I can’t read it, and it makes my eyes hurt. Give me at least an option for dark text on a light background so I can buy stuff.
performance/bugs. iTunes is bloaty, slow, and gives me more spinning beachballs than the rest of my programs combined.
performance/bugs. iTunes is bloaty, slow, and gives me more spinning beachballs than the rest of my programs combined.
@@AppleJack
Thank you, . . . you’re a nice person.
That’s really cool/
@@AppleJack
Thank you, . . . you’re a nice person.
That’s really cool/
64-bit
64-bit
#12 – Cocoa, Cocoa, Cocoa!!!
#12 – Cocoa, Cocoa, Cocoa!!!
Make it a site. Why it has to be a stand alone program? Can’t a web app access the files in my computer?
Make it a site. Why it has to be a stand alone program? Can’t a web app access the files in my computer?
Also, it would be nice if instead of having to open iPhoto to import pictures, you could upload them to a placemat file while in iTunes that is available next time you open iPhoto.
Saves from having two huge, bloated apps running just to sync.
Or maybe not….
Also, it would be nice if instead of having to open iPhoto to import pictures, you could upload them to a placemat file while in iTunes that is available next time you open iPhoto.
Saves from having two huge, bloated apps running just to sync.
Or maybe not….
1) Performance – the latest version made a huge leap in terms of performance on the Mac side. It still has a long way to go. 64-bits may be in order.
2) Teach people how to use it. 99% of the time when I see/hear “iTunes sucks” when I hear why, the response is usually that someone doesn’t realize that iTunes can do what they want it to.
3) On the Windows side, make iTunes far less intrusive. This means an overall strategy in regards to iTunes, QuickTime, Safari, and any other apps that may come out (iPhoto). Skin it for Windows by default or at least have a Windows skin as an option. In short, make it a Windows app.
4) Evangelize AppleScripting. Doug has done almost all the work for you. Reward him. Turn the AppleScript directory into something that’s more AppStore/Safari Extension Gallery like. You should be able to browse/search and click to have these installed automatically. I can’t emphasize this enough, but iTunes with the AppleScripts from Doug make iTunes a bazillion times more functional and easier to use.
5) Bring AppleScripting to the Windows version of iTunes.
1) Performance – the latest version made a huge leap in terms of performance on the Mac side. It still has a long way to go. 64-bits may be in order.
2) Teach people how to use it. 99% of the time when I see/hear “iTunes sucks” when I hear why, the response is usually that someone doesn’t realize that iTunes can do what they want it to.
3) On the Windows side, make iTunes far less intrusive. This means an overall strategy in regards to iTunes, QuickTime, Safari, and any other apps that may come out (iPhoto). Skin it for Windows by default or at least have a Windows skin as an option. In short, make it a Windows app.
4) Evangelize AppleScripting. Doug has done almost all the work for you. Reward him. Turn the AppleScript directory into something that’s more AppStore/Safari Extension Gallery like. You should be able to browse/search and click to have these installed automatically. I can’t emphasize this enough, but iTunes with the AppleScripts from Doug make iTunes a bazillion times more functional and easier to use.
5) Bring AppleScripting to the Windows version of iTunes.
@Frobots,
“Make it a site.”
Good God no. It needs to be a stand alone app because apps can do things that web pages can’t…and do it far more efficiently. There are web-apps that allow you to access your iTunes library, but try using them and you’ll see what I mean…buggy, slow, and far less features.
@Frobots,
“Make it a site.”
Good God no. It needs to be a stand alone app because apps can do things that web pages can’t…and do it far more efficiently. There are web-apps that allow you to access your iTunes library, but try using them and you’ll see what I mean…buggy, slow, and far less features.
NO please DON’T make it a web app
Only a retard redownloads programs every time they use one
NO please DON’T make it a web app
Only a retard redownloads programs every time they use one
CREATE A iTUNES LITE VERSION!
Or make iTunes modular so one can slim it down if need be upon restart of the program.
iTunes is turning into a FAT BLOATED PIG!!
CREATE A iTUNES LITE VERSION!
Or make iTunes modular so one can slim it down if need be upon restart of the program.
iTunes is turning into a FAT BLOATED PIG!!
How about playlists for books and apps?
I have 5 iDevices that sync with one iTunes account (kids, wife) and I dislike needing to have the device connected to change these two media areas. I want to be able to create a playlist for each person (like I do with the music) that I can add to or delete from whenever it is convenient and then when the device is plugged in, it just syncs. Often I am trying to sync devices in a hurry, so this would save me a lot of time during the sync itself.
Also – WIRELESS SYNCING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about playlists for books and apps?
I have 5 iDevices that sync with one iTunes account (kids, wife) and I dislike needing to have the device connected to change these two media areas. I want to be able to create a playlist for each person (like I do with the music) that I can add to or delete from whenever it is convenient and then when the device is plugged in, it just syncs. Often I am trying to sync devices in a hurry, so this would save me a lot of time during the sync itself.
Also – WIRELESS SYNCING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remove Ping!
Remove Ping!
Just let me drag a song from <any> computer to <my> iDevice at any time without worrying about if the computer is the “master” computer. At the least I should be able to do that for any non-DRM’ed item.
Just let me drag a song from <any> computer to <my> iDevice at any time without worrying about if the computer is the “master” computer. At the least I should be able to do that for any non-DRM’ed item.
This review is stupid. Did the guy run out if things? Sort out the windows version – sort out the mac version! WTF?! Thats not helpful just stupid. The only thing on here that is right is that they need to sort out ping.
This review is stupid. Did the guy run out if things? Sort out the windows version – sort out the mac version! WTF?! Thats not helpful just stupid. The only thing on here that is right is that they need to sort out ping.
All I want is one giant global iTunes store whereby I am not restricted to what’s on offer here in the uk. So what if the price structure is different in different countries, we Brits have always accepted that we get screwed over pricing (but it doesn’t mean we like it) but I want to be able to buy US or Canadian music or tv shows that I cannot at present.
Can it really be that hard for Apple to do what I ask.
All I want is one giant global iTunes store whereby I am not restricted to what’s on offer here in the uk. So what if the price structure is different in different countries, we Brits have always accepted that we get screwed over pricing (but it doesn’t mean we like it) but I want to be able to buy US or Canadian music or tv shows that I cannot at present.
Can it really be that hard for Apple to do what I ask.
Better more advanced management period for everything.
Total rewrite
iTunes pro – a home server version, part of iLife
multiple libraries like aperture
Functional parental controls…Useless if only itunes content can be rated.
Split apps and iPhone syncing to separate application iTunes can sync pictures from other apps an iOS sync app should be able to access music the same way.
Better more advanced management period for everything.
Total rewrite
iTunes pro – a home server version, part of iLife
multiple libraries like aperture
Functional parental controls…Useless if only itunes content can be rated.
Split apps and iPhone syncing to separate application iTunes can sync pictures from other apps an iOS sync app should be able to access music the same way.
iTunes is becoming a big kludgy bucket with the eggs on top. iTunes 10 is faster and cleaner, which is welcome, but it added yet more features without addressing the fundamental problem: iTunes is just doing way too much. It’s time to share the load among the other members of the iLife family, turning the suite into a full media ecosystem. Once the burden of handling everything from movies to ebooks is off, iTunes could become a great, clean jukebox and store again, even adding functionality to that role.
My general proposition is to move all content acquisition and consumption from iTunes into the iLife app already provided for that type of content creation, so you buy music in iTunes, but TV shows and Movies in iMovie. Likewise, Garage Band folds into the newly stripped down iTunes by adding “Garage Band” or “My Music” to the left hand menu where “Music”, “TV Shows”, “Movies”, etc. live now. Those would have moved out to their own more full-featured and customized applications. Syncing between all these and your devices requires it’s own application so you can still have a single point of access that has room to expand.
In this scheme, there are 6 clear and distinct applications that fit naturally under the “iLife” heading or family:
iTunes
iMovie
iPhoto
iWeb
iBooks
iSync
Since this is modular, they could easily add iGame or any other form of media later.
Within each app, I’d like to see a standardized UI that flips from acquisition to playback to creation. I’d call them “Store”, “Player”, and “Studio.” Each Studio will have very different UI needs, but Stores should have the same UI across media types- maybe with slightly differentiating visual themes. Players should also work similarly to one another, at the very least in browsing and media management. One of the goals is transparency and unity across applications and devices. As much as possible, knowing how to use iTunes should let you use iPhoto and knowing iMovie on the Mac should let you handle iMovie on the iPad.
The Stores and Players should be transparent to an Apple TV, so when you turn them on there’s a unified Store and a unified Player, and each has largely the same UI as on the desktop.
The App Store moves out of iLife into its own space, like Mail or Safari, so it can naturally address the whole system, because it should distribute (and maybe become a central manager for) full fledged Mac applications as well. The App Store should provide for device-specific shopping and create a desktop windowed player for compatible apps to run in. Any item on the store may run on whichever hardware the developer specs. Maybe as apps continue to grow in importance, that’s the next addition to the suite- iAp, with Store, Player, and Studio.
As basic improvements, the App Store needs tabbed browsing and better text searching, including fuzzy logic and spelling correction/suggestion. The store would, to some degree, lose the ability to advertise you movies while you’re trying to find music, etc, but not entirely: for each search, there could still be a window to the side suggesting something similar from another store. Clicking on it would open its entry in the corresponding app, but when I search ‘Baseketball” I wouldn’t have to actually scroll past 2 movie review podcasts, the soundtrack, and the promotional app to get to what I’m looking for: the film.
iTunes is becoming a big kludgy bucket with the eggs on top. iTunes 10 is faster and cleaner, which is welcome, but it added yet more features without addressing the fundamental problem: iTunes is just doing way too much. It’s time to share the load among the other members of the iLife family, turning the suite into a full media ecosystem. Once the burden of handling everything from movies to ebooks is off, iTunes could become a great, clean jukebox and store again, even adding functionality to that role.
My general proposition is to move all content acquisition and consumption from iTunes into the iLife app already provided for that type of content creation, so you buy music in iTunes, but TV shows and Movies in iMovie. Likewise, Garage Band folds into the newly stripped down iTunes by adding “Garage Band” or “My Music” to the left hand menu where “Music”, “TV Shows”, “Movies”, etc. live now. Those would have moved out to their own more full-featured and customized applications. Syncing between all these and your devices requires it’s own application so you can still have a single point of access that has room to expand.
In this scheme, there are 6 clear and distinct applications that fit naturally under the “iLife” heading or family:
iTunes
iMovie
iPhoto
iWeb
iBooks
iSync
Since this is modular, they could easily add iGame or any other form of media later.
Within each app, I’d like to see a standardized UI that flips from acquisition to playback to creation. I’d call them “Store”, “Player”, and “Studio.” Each Studio will have very different UI needs, but Stores should have the same UI across media types- maybe with slightly differentiating visual themes. Players should also work similarly to one another, at the very least in browsing and media management. One of the goals is transparency and unity across applications and devices. As much as possible, knowing how to use iTunes should let you use iPhoto and knowing iMovie on the Mac should let you handle iMovie on the iPad.
The Stores and Players should be transparent to an Apple TV, so when you turn them on there’s a unified Store and a unified Player, and each has largely the same UI as on the desktop.
The App Store moves out of iLife into its own space, like Mail or Safari, so it can naturally address the whole system, because it should distribute (and maybe become a central manager for) full fledged Mac applications as well. The App Store should provide for device-specific shopping and create a desktop windowed player for compatible apps to run in. Any item on the store may run on whichever hardware the developer specs. Maybe as apps continue to grow in importance, that’s the next addition to the suite- iAp, with Store, Player, and Studio.
As basic improvements, the App Store needs tabbed browsing and better text searching, including fuzzy logic and spelling correction/suggestion. The store would, to some degree, lose the ability to advertise you movies while you’re trying to find music, etc, but not entirely: for each search, there could still be a window to the side suggesting something similar from another store. Clicking on it would open its entry in the corresponding app, but when I search ‘Baseketball” I wouldn’t have to actually scroll past 2 movie review podcasts, the soundtrack, and the promotional app to get to what I’m looking for: the film.
Here’s how I see each app breaking down:
iTunes
Audio purchase, consumption, and creation: podcasts, internet radio, and of course music. Audiobooks should probably go here, too, until the audio feature of iBooks/Kindle/Nook improves enough to obviate them. That seems like largely a copyright issue.
iMovie
Video purchase, consumption, and creation: movies, TV, webisodes like “The Guild,” maybe even embedded Youtube. It’d be nice to be able to save your fave Youtube items here along with your shows and movies.
iPhoto
Photo storage, organization, and light editing. Bump the editing features up a little and improve their UI, and increase linkage to Flickr, etc. I’ve never used Aperture, but would be happy if they’d just buy Pixelmator and make that the iPhoto Studio. It might also be interesting to see a store for this- a marketplace for images, available as art prints or as clipart for documents/web pages.
iBooks
Apple’s eBook reader, with the store built in. Consistent updated states and placeholding across all platforms and devices. Anybody who’s tried it knows that the iBooks shopping experience needs help, but it’s in it’s infancy. It just needs to steal the format of the other stores. This would also be a great place to add a layout program as the Studio portion to fill out desktop publishing.
iWeb
HTML5 authoring, editing, viewing. Safari stays separate, making this the only iLife app that doesn’t have a Player built into the creation tool. Maybe it would be a good idea to merge them, but I don’t see it. No Store here, either, unless I’m missing something.
iSync
Pulls all this content together with all your devices. iSync gains a real GUI, like the screens you get for each device you plug into iTunes, but it’s persistent so you can manage absent devices. If you remember that you needed to load Twittelator onto your wife’s iPad, but she has it at work, you could still do it now. Bringing syncing into it’s own app would make UI room for more the detailed and powerful options tha people are asking for, and the ideal spot for clean and clear file sharing across devices. Select location on device, select location on Mac, and set which direction files flow.
iPod, iPhone, etc. still show up in iTunes, iPhoto, etc, but only as a content source.
This also edges more people toward more content creation. I don’t think I’ve ever even opened iDVD or iMovie, but I bet I would have at least poked around with them if I was getting movies and TV there.
Aperture, Logic, and Final Cut remain distinct for pros, and as long as I’m in fantasy world, each of these has upload built in so that professional musicians, authors, and Auteurs can self-publish straight to the store within the relevant Application.
Of course, Apple should also take advantage of this massive re-organization to move everything to 64-bit and generally clean house on code, but most of it would have to be rewritten for this to happen anyway.
Here’s how I see each app breaking down:
iTunes
Audio purchase, consumption, and creation: podcasts, internet radio, and of course music. Audiobooks should probably go here, too, until the audio feature of iBooks/Kindle/Nook improves enough to obviate them. That seems like largely a copyright issue.
iMovie
Video purchase, consumption, and creation: movies, TV, webisodes like “The Guild,” maybe even embedded Youtube. It’d be nice to be able to save your fave Youtube items here along with your shows and movies.
iPhoto
Photo storage, organization, and light editing. Bump the editing features up a little and improve their UI, and increase linkage to Flickr, etc. I’ve never used Aperture, but would be happy if they’d just buy Pixelmator and make that the iPhoto Studio. It might also be interesting to see a store for this- a marketplace for images, available as art prints or as clipart for documents/web pages.
iBooks
Apple’s eBook reader, with the store built in. Consistent updated states and placeholding across all platforms and devices. Anybody who’s tried it knows that the iBooks shopping experience needs help, but it’s in it’s infancy. It just needs to steal the format of the other stores. This would also be a great place to add a layout program as the Studio portion to fill out desktop publishing.
iWeb
HTML5 authoring, editing, viewing. Safari stays separate, making this the only iLife app that doesn’t have a Player built into the creation tool. Maybe it would be a good idea to merge them, but I don’t see it. No Store here, either, unless I’m missing something.
iSync
Pulls all this content together with all your devices. iSync gains a real GUI, like the screens you get for each device you plug into iTunes, but it’s persistent so you can manage absent devices. If you remember that you needed to load Twittelator onto your wife’s iPad, but she has it at work, you could still do it now. Bringing syncing into it’s own app would make UI room for more the detailed and powerful options tha people are asking for, and the ideal spot for clean and clear file sharing across devices. Select location on device, select location on Mac, and set which direction files flow.
iPod, iPhone, etc. still show up in iTunes, iPhoto, etc, but only as a content source.
This also edges more people toward more content creation. I don’t think I’ve ever even opened iDVD or iMovie, but I bet I would have at least poked around with them if I was getting movies and TV there.
Aperture, Logic, and Final Cut remain distinct for pros, and as long as I’m in fantasy world, each of these has upload built in so that professional musicians, authors, and Auteurs can self-publish straight to the store within the relevant Application.
Of course, Apple should also take advantage of this massive re-organization to move everything to 64-bit and generally clean house on code, but most of it would have to be rewritten for this to happen anyway.
just want to drag and drop a downloaded music file from my desktop to my iPod.
Just like you would do it on a Mac.
oh wait, iTunes is for Mac. Thought it was Windows where everything takes 8 different steps.
Don’t want it to try to take over my life.
Never mind.
just want to drag and drop a downloaded music file from my desktop to my iPod.
Just like you would do it on a Mac.
oh wait, iTunes is for Mac. Thought it was Windows where everything takes 8 different steps.
Don’t want it to try to take over my life.
Never mind.
Buy gracenotes and find a way to make it recognize a live album with no gaps between the tracks. I am to lazy to type it in myself.
Buy gracenotes and find a way to make it recognize a live album with no gaps between the tracks. I am to lazy to type it in myself.
to hell with the “cloud”. clouds are slow, wet, and unstable. keep iTunes based in reality. Keep the Mac computer at the hub of the home, the master but make lightweight versions for those who don’t need/want all the features. add-in components a la Firefox (applescripting) already offers tremendous power for advanced users — it just needs to be less cluttered out of the box.
the rest of the list is pretty thin on reasoning. there are already excellent tools for getting non-iTunes art, for viewing multiple playlists, and so forth. Sounds to me like Craig Grannell needs to learn all the capabilities of the entire 3rd party iTunes universe before complaining about what already is the best, most useable media database. but then, any critic can always come up with something he wants to change, perhaps just for the sake of change.
to hell with the “cloud”. clouds are slow, wet, and unstable. keep iTunes based in reality. Keep the Mac computer at the hub of the home, the master but make lightweight versions for those who don’t need/want all the features. add-in components a la Firefox (applescripting) already offers tremendous power for advanced users — it just needs to be less cluttered out of the box.
the rest of the list is pretty thin on reasoning. there are already excellent tools for getting non-iTunes art, for viewing multiple playlists, and so forth. Sounds to me like Craig Grannell needs to learn all the capabilities of the entire 3rd party iTunes universe before complaining about what already is the best, most useable media database. but then, any critic can always come up with something he wants to change, perhaps just for the sake of change.
iTunes gets worse and worse with each iteration.Apple have made it do too much and clearly the UI designers have no clue.
Using devices over multiple computers is an issue – many people have laptops and desktops and an iOS device they want to use between both – why is it so damn difficult.
Why do I need to sync for the most basic of tasks?
Why can’t I easily use my iPod Touch or iPhone as a drive? (Yes third party solutions exist, but what’s with that?)
iTunes gets worse and worse with each iteration.Apple have made it do too much and clearly the UI designers have no clue.
Using devices over multiple computers is an issue – many people have laptops and desktops and an iOS device they want to use between both – why is it so damn difficult.
Why do I need to sync for the most basic of tasks?
Why can’t I easily use my iPod Touch or iPhone as a drive? (Yes third party solutions exist, but what’s with that?)
14, Allow the user to rate individual podcasts the way they rate individual songs.
14, Allow the user to rate individual podcasts the way they rate individual songs.
Might sound like a little thing but I always thought colour labeling the same way as with folders would be a nice touch, especially in list view.
Might sound like a little thing but I always thought colour labeling the same way as with folders would be a nice touch, especially in list view.
@Nathan
Thanks for your lucid and detailed description of your vision of distributing some of iTunes’ functions into other apps.
In your second, well-written post, I definitely recognised my own comfort with how you would re-organise things in iLife.
I could really see your idea working very well.
I like your vision.
Thanks.
@Nathan
Thanks for your lucid and detailed description of your vision of distributing some of iTunes’ functions into other apps.
In your second, well-written post, I definitely recognised my own comfort with how you would re-organise things in iLife.
I could really see your idea working very well.
I like your vision.
Thanks.
two things for me:
1. I should be able to right click on a track (Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell by The Flaming Lips for example) and find out which play lists the song is in.
2. I should be able to add songs manually to a genius play list.
two things for me:
1. I should be able to right click on a track (Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell by The Flaming Lips for example) and find out which play lists the song is in.
2. I should be able to add songs manually to a genius play list.
One problem I have with iTunes is that every time I upgrade to a new version, it wants to update my library, which is so large (and stored on an external hard drive) that it is painfully slow – I have to launch it without the hard drive attached so that it basically bypasses that step. I’d rather it just trust the library that’s already there between upgrades.
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One problem I have with iTunes is that every time I upgrade to a new version, it wants to update my library, which is so large (and stored on an external hard drive) that it is painfully slow – I have to launch it without the hard drive attached so that it basically bypasses that step. I’d rather it just trust the library that’s already there between upgrades.
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Thanks for sharing your information.
Childrens ebooks
Thanks for sharing your information.
Childrens ebooks