Comments on: iApps: The Software Suite Apple Should Create

By: doug

doug — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:19:45 +0000

I have to agree with both sides in this argument to some extent. I agree it would be nice to have everything in one place and have it work well. Work well. Itunes is garbage on a pc. I don’t know how it works on a mac, but frankly, telling me things would be better on a mac isn’t the same as showing me how great your software is to start with. Instead, what I get is a piece of bloated garbage that causes my 2ghz processor with 4gb of memory to hang up for 30 seconds every time I play a song or try to sync or anything else. That’s not good advertising for Apple. If you want to lure me to pay a premium for your product you don’t give me bad software and then tell me it’s my fault it doesn’t work well, and that if I pay you extra, you can make it work. Instead, make good software that makes me want to look at what else you can do. If the Itunes flagship is an example of Apple software, they can keep the rest. Over the years I’ve tried to use it several times, in different versions on different pcs and the performance has always been crap. The only reason I can see that anyone even uses Itunes at all is because the music player itself is so nifty.

By: skellyrocker

skellyrocker — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:01:32 +0000

“Looking at the sidebar in iTunes now, I’ve got Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, iTunes U, Audiobooks, Applications, and Radio, and that’s just the main library. Next is the iTunes Store and a “Purchased” smart list, the Genius feature, iTunes DJ and (finally) my custom Smart Playlists. That’s a lot to pack into one application, especially considering that many of the features have nothing to do with each other. There are very few times when I’m wanting to watch a movie that I care to look through my music collection. Music and video are two different functions, and in my opinion, deserve two different apps.”

Well isn’t that handy! all inthe one place, no flicking between separate apps to access all your media. My word that would soon wear out command – tab!. It’s a shame that you can’t access keynote, pages and numbers documents – but hopefully in iTunes X, eh?

I would rather see contacts and ical more integrated as a single app with mail, more like (and I WILL was my mouth out with soap) ‘Outlook’ – but obviously better and more Appley Maccy! Rather than generate even more applications.

As for speed issues – get a new Mac! They come out with upgrades every frickin’ fortnight!

By: chano

chano — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:11:59 +0000

If it ain’t broke……
This is why you write about Apple but you don’t ‘get’ Apple.

By: MattF

MattF — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:02:38 +0000

There’s actually at least four functions: 1) a store where you buy media (and iPhone apps), 2) database management of data you own (or rent), 3) players and readers for media (or data) you own (or rent, or browse), and 4) applications for making and manipulating media or data. And looming over all of this is the ‘cloud’– should some or all of these functions migrate to distant servers? Who knows?

I agree that the way all these functions are currently split up among Apple’s applications is pretty arbitrary and mostly due to history. I’d normally be reluctant to mess with it, since it does all still sorta does work– but I agree that the time has probably come to rethink and redo it.

By: Philou

Philou — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:59:46 +0000

I am exactly of the same opinion.

Apple your are all about clean products. Simple and functional. As in all software, iTunes gets crappier every time you simply ad a function without considering the concept of the whole package.

By: Apple guy

Apple guy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:05:37 +0000

Just goes to show anyone can pretend to be am expert. The points of view here are not worth the electrons holding them.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:37:20 +0000

@NC, I think you brought up a key word here which is “media,” specifically the storage and consumption of media. Tweets, email, and RSS feeds (as mentioned by @HZC) can arguably be categorized as media, but are potentially stored and consumed differently than audio, video, Internet radio, etc.

By: HZC

HZC — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:31:16 +0000

Well, don’t worry, Apple won’t split up iTunes … because of the store. This way when you go to buy an app, you might spot a movie or a song you like and end up buying that too. They won’t ever split the store up. So I guess that anything that’s related to the store ends up in iTunes.

Your other points about the iPod/iPod app and AppleTV are well taken. I happen to have all of those too ;-)

By: BadIdea!

BadIdea! — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Oh my what a bad idea! I agree that with some of the syncing with calendars and photos it seems a bit clunky and un apple-like to use iTunes but to separate the store from the music from the movies etc. just makes for a bad user experience.

So I’d have to run a ‘store app’ to browse for music, movies, tv shows, and then to watch or listen to my purchases I’d have to run a separate app to listen to music, then to watch a movie I’d have to go to another app? No-friggin-thanks if it’s all the same with you?

So what about on the iPhone? The iPod app plays music, movies, tv shows etc. and so if you think it is a good idea to break these functions out into separate apps on the mac then surely the same applies to the iPhone?

What about the AppleTV – same thing applies

What about FrontRow?

The best thing about iTunes is the all-in-one experience, from buying to watching/listening to syncing.

@Gazoobee if you take a movie with your iPhone it ends up in iPhoto not iTunes and is available automatically in your movie app.

@HZC the point is the iTunes allows you to buy, play/watch and sync media files, everything is related. Your argument is a non sequitur.

By: NC

NC — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:14:01 +0000

I have to disagree with the author on this. I prefer having a central location all of my media. There is a possible argument that the iPhone and it’s apps don’t integrate well. But seeing as I use it as an iPod more than a phone most of the time, it makes sense to have it integrated into iTunes. Instead of breaking iTunes apart, I think Apple could focus on the underlying architecture to speed up all of the processes. I think that would help out with HZC’s problem.