Itunes Or Wmp9

Despite what everyone says I like WMP9. I don't care if it is from MS, if I really cared I wouldn't run Windows at all. I like how it gets the album art and fills in the incorrect info and sorts and all of that stuff. Can someone who has it tell me some of the advantages it has over WMP9? Also I know the negative things about WMP9 like reporting and access and blah blah blah so no need to fill me in on those things. I just haven't used iTunes yet, but of course I am partial to it's layout with brushed/smooth lines. I would like to know what sort of cool features it has and what your experience with is has been like. Also I heard it tries to sell you single downloads for .99 cents. Is this an annoyance or is it good?

#73802

To be honest, I still very much like WMP9 myself, but use iTunes/Win despite how much I like WMP9.

I think, until iTunes came out, I was the world's biggest WMP9 fan, but iTunes/Win just seems... Easier, I guess. Not so much bloat. Ok, so WMP9 plays masses more media than WMP9, but that's kinda the problem, I guess - WMP9 tries to be all things to all men, whereas iTunes is only trying to be an audio jukebox type application.

Give iTunes/Win a go - you may be surprised how much you like it. I was!

If you don't like it, but still want the looks, though, may I recommend a certain WMP9 iTunes skin by someone who shall remain unnamed

#73803

free to download and try...

if you don't want to use the music store you can turn it off completely.

which is nice

i find its arranging of tagless songs very poor though,

-fissy

#73804

Well, I can tell you that the iTunes store isn't annoying at all. As it doesn't hit you with pop-ups or anything. If you don't tell iTunes you want to buy music (i.e. click the menu item that says "Music Store"), it doesn't bother you with it....at all.

Personally I love iTunes. I was having issues with it rearanging my music after having it all sorted by Artist - Album - Track. Then I realized, that was exactly how it was arranging it anyway, so I let iTunes organize my music now. Works a treat and it keeps me from worrying about whether or not I have stuff organized properly.

iTunes will get CD track names from CDDB if you want it to and do the IDv3 tags and stuff.

Try it out. It isn't that much to download and if you don't like it you can uninstall it. Just make sure you tell iTunes NOT to organize your music when you install it. Unless you are sure you want it to, it can't be undone. A lot of people got very upset by this when it first came out. Personally, I like how it organizes my music so it didn't bother me much after I found out how it was organizing it.

#73808

I had a positive influence by iTunes. You don't have to worry about organizing your music by hand because iTunes does that for you. I found it much faster than WMP9, (Stevie and Binary, your skin still rocks!!) and you have everything in one program, burning, ripping, playing and buying.

#73811

Originally posted by Nephilim+Nov 5 2003, 08:28 PM-->

QUOTE(Nephilim @ Nov 5 2003, 08:28 PM)

Just make sure you tell iTunes NOT to organize your music when you install it.  Unless you are sure you want it to, it can't be undone.  A lot of people got very upset by this when it first came out.  Personally, I like how it organizes my music so it didn't bother me much after I found out how it was organizing it.

The "arrange my music" feature is switched off by default, in the current versions.

#73812

Ok, so WMP9 plays masses more media than WMP9, but that's kinda the problem, I guess - WMP9 tries to be all things to all men, whereas iTunes is only trying to be an audio jukebox type application.

:smartass: Yes. Good point. I really only need a audio jukebox. I use divx for the video mostly and never really like using WMP9 for video. Thanks for the link to the skin also.. right now I am using snow white which is pretty cool I think.

(Y) Thanks Fissy. It's cool that they allow you to turn off that feature. I guess since it's free and all I will try it when I get home later today. Hope the info tagging isn't too horible though.. cuz I need that kinda badly.

#73813

I had a positive influence by iTunes. You don't have to worry about organizing your music by hand because iTunes does that for you. I found it much faster than WMP9, (Stevie and Binary, your skin still rocks!!) and you have everything in one program, burning, ripping, playing and buying.

So how is the ripping feature. Because I added an mp3 ripper plug-in for wmp9 that works.. ok. Glad to see it will look the cds up automatically as well, but I guess thats pretty much standard these days. Thank you Gracenote

#73816

It rips in MP3, AAC, AIFF and WAV. I encode in MP3 and it sounds good to me. Then again, I'm not really an Audiophile.

Edit: I should probly give you more info. The default file format is AAC, of course Apple's invested technology. Just pop in the CD, it will go out to the internet and get the info, unfortunatly not the CD picture. Select the one that you want to encode by the checks and drag them to the Library menu item. All are selected at default so you don't have to worry about that and you get full speed ripping, with cooperation with your processor and CD drive.

#73817

It rips in MP3, AAC, AIFF and WAV. I encode in MP3 and it sounds good to me. Then again, I'm not really an Audiophile.

thanks for the info it sounds like that feature is top notch aside from no cover art. eh but the functionality is the main thing and it sounds like it is pretty solid.

I found it much faster than WMP9

:rule:

#73821

I want to have iTunes' love child. It's simple, intuitive, and sexy. One button does Burn/Import/Visualizer Options/Refresh Radio Streams/Browses Music store, depending on the context. That means 20% Fewer buttons on the GUI. The mini mode is small, and thanks to evolution's plug-in, very customizable. The smart playlists are easy to learn, and the visualizations are fun and pretty cool looking.

Most of the above features are in WMP9 (except the store of course), but set up in a way that makes me cringe to try to use.

Last point: What opens by default when you open WMP9? A "media-guide" that looks like the cover of People magazine. When you open iTunes, you get your music. The stuff which you opened the program to use.

later

--mgehrett--

#73827

for me, the coolest feature about iTunes is the use of the little search box for finding songs by thier artist or title or whatever. with a pretty big music library, that really beats scrolling for songs.

i also like the sharing/streaming capabilities - on my campus's network, i have noticed the number of people sharing thier libraries growing by the week! now if there was just a way to capture those streams...

#73830

Last point: What opens by default when you open WMP9? A "media-guide" that looks like the cover of People magazine. When you open iTunes, you get your music. The stuff which you opened the program to use.

good point. I hate the media guide thing loading. I dont care about justin timberlake or 50 cent. that always super annoyed me. <_<

#73832

Originally posted by simplex@Nov 5 2003, 09:16 PM

good point. I hate the media guide thing loading. I dont care about justin timberlake or 50 cent. that always super annoyed me.  <_<

There's an option to turn that off, and have WMP9 open where you left it, y'know...

#73836

yea I think I tried that actually and at some point it forgot my setting, so i was like wtf.

i also like the sharing/streaming capabilities - on my campus's network, i have noticed the number of people sharing thier libraries growing by the week! now if there was just a way to capture those streams...

creative make an app that is part of the software bundle that came with my autigy 2 platinum. its a stream recorder and it can record into a buncha diff formats. it's pretty cool.

#73840

just beeing a :smartass:

ereased my unnecessary comment

#73845

um yea. you got me... sure was pirating music! want your brownie points now or later?

disenchanted -Simplex

#73849

Ditch them both and get Winamp 5! It plays music and video, unlike iTunes.

#73851

Hmmm haven't heard anything about winamp 5, but I wasn't a fan of winamp 3 really. Too unstable.

#73856

Apparently, Winamp five is supposed to be as fast as Winamp 2 with the skinning of Winamp 3 (2 + 3 = 5) hence Winamp 5. It's still in beta, so I am going to wait until they release the final version.

Edit : I can't spell

#73859

that's cool then! well hopefully it will be fast and reliable like winamp 2. I guess i've just become partial to the more jukebox type programs. On ocassion I use winamp to when I want to run a stream or play a file temporarily while wmp is paused.

#73866

Originally posted by simplex@Nov 5 2003, 03:57 PM

...while wmp is paused.

Is this a nice way of putting, "when I am kicking the S### out of WMP?"

Does anyone know when a generic release date is for Winamp 5?

#73871

haha.. well mine hasn't really ever given me any troubles. the most it has done is lag just a lil when skipping around in the songs on random. I went to winamps site and I didnt find anything about winamp 5. I was however being distracted by a philly cheesteak. heh.

#73877

My poor advice: Go with the one that looks and acts the coolest!!!!!!!! :woot: :naughty:

#73878

Originally posted by Globox@Nov 5 2003, 04:07 PM

My poor advice: Go with the one that looks and acts the coolest!!!!!!!!  :woot: :naughty:

OK, you ended where we started. I'm s(h)ure your advise will help him out severely.

#73879