I hate itunes!!!! Helppp!!!

hello everyone,

Before I start I just want to say I have been an itunes user from the beginning. Since I bought my 1st gen ipod. I have tried to convince myself I like it, and have given it 2nd, 3rd, up to 20th whatever chances, and have always tried to find a way to like it and make it work how I want to, but it just doesn't. So, Im not trying to be a jerk or anything, but please don't say "you must be using it wrong", or "give it another chance" or "itunes is so simple and organizes every effortlessly". This may be true for some, just not me. I have gone to the extent of buying 3 separate "bibles" (itunes for dummies, managing itunes etc.) for using itunes.

My MBP has 120g hard drive. I go to Berklee College Of Music which requires me to have 100g of software on my laptop at all time(recording software, synth programs with 40g sound libraries etc.) The way I manage this is using an external through airport, and my ipod and iphone to store everything(yes I have tried using them as a hard drive).

Also, if this is in the wrong section, forgive me, feel free to move it or correct me.

So, first of all, my gripes with itunes. I can almost promise I have forgotten many but these are the most current annoyances and Im sure Ill remember more along the way.

1) itunes loves to move, duplicate, delete, and overall screw up my libraries, thus resulting in my ipod/iphone having to re-sync, or not have the same libraries etc. and erase everything. I need something that will not automatically organize my files because thats way it thinks its best.

2) Although the way it organizes my files is neat and, well, organized, it always tries to reorganize everything because I moved something to my external and need to "fix" it, resulting in mass deletion and anger. Once again, I need something that "doesn't care" if a song is missing and just lets me play what I want.

3) I need something that isn't so "smart" or automatic, and doesn't try to automatically fix anything, and let me fix it myself

More on the way I'm sure. I've seen stand alone players, and stand alone ipod managers, but is there any other software that puts them together and does a good job? As far as I have experienced, there isn't a "make itunes not fix things" or "make itunes be not have OCD" button.

Thanks so much in advance!

Steve

Welcome to freedom. Songbird

If you search my user name for posts related to iTunes and Songbird, you'll find that we have the same gripes, as well as some you didn't mention. Songbird is FULLY functional, FULLY stable and FULLY better than iTunes in every respect you'd like it to be. Native FLAC and Ogg support, flawless playback from external hd's and my bluetooth keyboard's media controls work with playback functionality. You just have to download the keyboard media control plug in. You can CHOOSE how you want your media handled, either with a database methodology, or to have it simply SEE where your files are and read them from their current location without moving a thing, copying a thing etc.. It will simply create a library database for a reference point. And the best part ?

Watched folders ! So that means when you add or remove a file it sees this and adjusts the library accordingly, without you having to do a thing. Sweet.

Have fun !

Doug

Edit: Sorry.. thanks to Apple, Songbird won't really manage your iPod collection. You'll still have to sync it up with iTunes. Not the fault of the Songbird devs whatsoever. Just Apple wanting to control the masses again...

Woooo! Thanks sooo much! Any ideas for a program for managing iPods and iPhones?

linerndunch110 said:

Woooo! Thanks sooo much! Any ideas for a program for managing iPods and iPhones?

Click to expand...

Honestly, why would you need/want anything but iTunes for that? If you manage your content manually, (meaning don't let it auto sync) everything will be cool as beans. I don't really know of other software to do it because I've never looked. But um, here :

Let me google that for you

Doug

Yea I guess that's right. You technically don't really need to go through iTunes. Just drag and drop from a folder straight to iTunes. Thanks so much!