Blogcritics: Comments on iTunes for Windows First Impressions & Problems

Comment by Serkan

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 04:46:39 EDT

hi I m serkan tez I want to download a song called "bad bad man" by john cena can you help me?

Comment by Ken Edwards

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 16:13:55 EST

Mark - I would suggest going to the iPodlounge.com forums and posting your problem there. That or the Apple discussions forums at discussions.info.apple.com.

Comment by Mark

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 10:54:03 EST

I have about 1500 MP3's that have correct ID3 tags, but itunes refuses to recognise them when i add them to the library... any fixes anyone knows of? The other 2500ish files imported correctly... I can't see any difference in the tags... any thoughts? M

Comment by David Roberts

Thu, 3 Jun 2004 19:31:02 EDT

I have installed itunes for windows and then uninstalled it twice. Despite the fact it is a great way to download music legally, I just didn't want to keep it on my computer. BTW, I prefer windows, despite having spent about two years using Macs at work before they (sensibly, IMHO) decided to switch to windows boxes. The only thing I love about itunes is the great selection of tunes and the easy downloads. I *really* dislike the interface. I agree that a windows app should follow the windows gui. I've noticed this problem with other apps that started on the mac, like Illustrator. I really disliked the attitude (so typically apple) that if I am allowed to make choices during the install, I'll just be confused. Especially the fact that it installs several memory wasiting resident processes that I feel are totally unneeded when I'm not actually running itunes. I like programs that don't consider themselves so important that a part of them has to run all the time, from boot-up to shutdown. Quicktime has the same problem. For example, itunes installs an process which looks like it is solely designed to detect a ipod. I don't have an ipod and will never buy one. Why do I need this on my computer? Why wasn't it an option? I just want to use itunes to download music and burn CDs of it. That is all. About the ID tags. I have many mp3 files that lack ID tags because I ripped them from CDs made by non-famous people whose music I happen to like. I clicked-off the choice to reorganize my files. (Why was this on by default anyway?--is it another assumption by apple that since no program in windows world could be as good as theirs that certainly I would only use itunes use I tried it?) I use MoodLogic to organize my music files and generate playlists, and it does a great job without reorganizing or renaming any thing. I have my files arranged by genre the way I like it, and I don't have to change it. Anyway, that's my two cents worth.

Comment by David Roberts

Thu, 3 Jun 2004 19:29:51 EDT

Comment by Salvatore

Tue, 4 May 2004 08:13:24 EDT

regarding the id3 tags and cd-text: these tags are not supported when people burn discs using session-at-once and track-at-once. only in the disc-at-once burning mode with cd-text checked will the songs copy the id3 tag information; unless this has changed recently. Also, many ripping programs do not grab the id3 tags or the user does not remember or know that they have to check them. Another problem could be the id tag version your cd player uses an older or newer version of idtags and isn't able to read the current version on the tracks... here is a fix for that... http://www.hollowcube.com/talk/archives/000092.php anyways, just thought i would put my two cents in... good thread Sal

Comment by kendo

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 17:43:13 EST

Hi, i used winamp3 for nearly 5 years cause of its low mem waste and nice plug ins. i switched to itunes when i was looking for a portable mp3 player (apples ipod). i dont bought an ipod yet (with much luck i get one cheap *thx euro*). (i switched off the auto aranging of files from the first moment) reason for itunes (imho). - very nice handling - acc ripping - manage larg amounts of mp3 easy (and i mean realy easy!) bad things - mem waste (damn sometimes i get the bad fealing it's writen in vb;) - some simple usebilty stuff hope it help's... (sorry for bad english) kendo ..I apologize for the inconvenience this interruption may have caused. Thank you for your patience..

Comment by Ken Edwards

Thu, 13 Nov 2003 14:19:00 EST

Yea, i would say it is an issue with the app you used to rip the music in the first place, it must not have gathered the info from the CDDB. if you have the CDs you might as well re rip them in iTunes. iTunes relies on the ID3 tag info more than any other program like it, and I have noticed most PC users who use iTunes for the first time are shocked at this. In the end, when your files all have proper ID3 info, you will find that this is very nice feature.

Comment by Phillip Winn

Thu, 13 Nov 2003 08:23:01 EST

Guy, what program did you use to rip those CDs that they have no tags other than genre? That seems beyond odd. While I've had plenty of problems with incomplete tags from really old rips (Audio Catalyst 1.0 leaps to mind as a source of very little tag info), I can't think of any tool that actually puts *no* tags in there. However, even in your current situation, you can use 'Browse' to at least look at tracks separated by genre, which might help. And of course you can select an entire album of tracks and change the tags for all of them at once, which should save time.

Comment by Guy Reid

Thu, 13 Nov 2003 06:24:34 EST

I have just downloaded Itunes for windows adn am having similar problems with the ID3 tag issue, my music collection consists mainly of ripped cd's which are categorised on my Hard Drive by Genre only, itunes does not seem to recognise this at all and when importing tracks to the library, creates unknown artist, unknown album ect, the result being that I cannot locate any of my files which is a bit of a pain since I use traktor for djing, so come on mac users, is therre any way to rectify this apart from manually creating tags so that the file systems stay in tact

Comment by Ken Edwards

Mon, 3 Nov 2003 22:42:17 EST

But in the playlist section in Itune - why cant we create nested folders? This is a feature I wish it had as well. submit your thoughts, that is the only way it will get added to the app. http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunes.html

Comment by Waltzz

Sun, 2 Nov 2003 23:56:37 EST

Those ID tags? I want all files to have ID tags. And they already show up in windows if you set your browser to include those categories! Have a look with a right click on the top of the categories with the browser set to Detailed view. Makes me realise I had a sort of Itune option all along! But I like the Itune approach to sorting files. Longhorn may yet take all this a step further. But in the playlist section in Itune - why cant we create nested folders?

Comment by Mac Diva

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 19:17:59 EDT

I believe the complaining Windows iTunes users will eat their words down the road. Despite the cavailing, they are going to want their music libraries organized and they will come to appreciate those accurate ID tags. My utterly unofficial poll of Windows iTunes users in real life has not resulted in any complainers. However, several of the friends asked are or have been Mac users in the past, so they are familiar with how Apple designs its software.

Comment by Ken Edwards

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 16:54:12 EDT

Thanks ;) I don't know about second class citizens, but i am sure that Apple would like people to be using iTumes on the Mac instead of Windows. That is no secret, but that is still no exuse. I don't know if they are doing it on purpose, the UI elements, but I do wish they would not. For example the scroll bar is "Aqua" and not the standard Windows one that works with any of the XP .msstyle stuff (such as Classic or Luna, the ones built into XP). I would rather iTunes on Windows look like a Windows app. Windows is not the Mac, and it should not act like it. I am much more of a Mac user, but I want my Windows software to run like Windows software, plain and simple. Oh, BTW, I found a place you can download a QuickTime compenent for OGG files. I hear it is slow, but is an alternative. Of course you could always use a free too to convert to mp3. I don't see OGG support being native to iTunes unless people provide feedback for it. Save with WMA support. http://qtcomponents.sourceforge.net/

Comment by TDavid

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 15:27:40 EDT

Good review, Ken and I agree with most of what you've written except I take some exception with the Apple-bashing stuff. I think it is possible for folks to attribute blame to Apple over treating Windows users like second class citizens with software deployment. As you point out, Apple seems to have the attitude that their UI is better and will ram that down the throat of Windows users whether they are familiar with it or not. Intentional or not? You raise some very valid points here. But I don't know that I'd call this Appple rhetoric so much as fact. They seem to be happy with the club atmosphere and niche software deployment strategy, which leaves me a bit puzzled. Personally, I think I would like iTunes on a Mac more than I do on Windows. But my Mac purchase has been pushed down in favor of getting a Tablet PC, I'm afraid.