iTunes - new version

[bertrand]

I just downloaded the latest version of iTunes because I could no longer get to the iTunes store with the old version. Now, when I click on a tune it has the word 'ping' appear.

What the hell is this? It doesn't post my iTunes directory to the web or some such BS, does it?

Bertrand.

Edited February 21, 2011 by bertrand

[Jim R]

Some kind of social networking feature where people can listen to what their friends listen to. Like "genius", I turned it off in my preferences and hid the iTunes sidebar. I can sample tracks in the store without seeing "ping" appear, so maybe my settings helped.

EVERYTHING is being tweaked these days (search engines, e-mail server software, ebay options, etc, etc), and as far as I'm concerned it's making everything less efficient, less convenient, and less appealing.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Jim R

[Dave James]

Ping has the look of something that might, and I emphasize might, appeal to a 10-year old. If you want to get rid of it, here's a roadmap:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/qa-when-ping-is-not-your-thing/

[Man with the Golden Arm]

the only good use is that a left clik on a playing song provides a drop down link back to the iTunes store via artist, title, album, genre - if you ever cross reference that way.

[Jazzmoose]

EVERYTHING is being tweaked these days (search engines, e-mail server software, ebay options, etc, etc), and as far as I'm concerned it's making everything less efficient, less convenient, and less appealing.

Welcome to the ranks of the no longer hip; we've been waiting for you!

[bertrand]

Looks like 'Ping' was already off in my account settings. It does not appear when I preview a song in the iTunes store, but shows up when I click on a song to play in my main music folder. I knew I should not have upgraded the version of iTunes. They always add some fucked-up feature.

Bertrand.

[bertrand]

OK - figured it out by googling a bit. In 'preferences' (which is found under 'edit'), choose 'parental control' and click 'ping' in the 'disable' option. Perversely, the 'ping' box needs to be checked to get rid of it.

Bertrand.

[John L]

Looks like 'Ping' was already off in my account settings. It does not appear when I preview a song in the iTunes store, but shows up when I click on a song to play in my main music folder. I knew I should not have upgraded the version of iTunes. They always add some fucked-up feature.

Bertrand.

I always cringe when a new version of iTunes appears. For those of us with very large collections, speed and less freezing are the top priority. Sometimes upgrades address this, but sometimes they add on more bullshit like this that actually slows it down.

[Shawn]

Most iTunes upgrades these days are for adding functionality to the iPhone, iPad, iPod and social networking features, that's what the kids want.

However, it's always simple to turn these features off.

[sonnymax]

OK - figured it out by googling a bit. In 'preferences' (which is found under 'edit'), choose 'parental control' and click 'ping' in the 'disable' option. Perversely, the 'ping' box needs to be checked to get rid of it.

Bertrand.

I found the "preferences" tab is under the "iTunes" column, not the "edit" function. Not sure if this is a Mac v. PC difference.

[Shawn]

OK - figured it out by googling a bit. In 'preferences' (which is found under 'edit'), choose 'parental control' and click 'ping' in the 'disable' option. Perversely, the 'ping' box needs to be checked to get rid of it.

Bertrand.

I found the "preferences" tab is under the "iTunes" column, not the "edit" function. Not sure if this is a Mac v. PC difference.

There is. All Mac applications have preferences listed under their name menu, the edit menu was used for the Windows version.

[Jim R]

Over the years, I've conditioned myself to just go ahead and update my Mac's applications whenever I'm prompted to do so. As mentioned above, this sometimes requires adjustments (literally and figuratively), but I've rarely run into any major hurdles or felt any real regrets about doing so.

Today, I've just installed the iTunes (version 11) update, and I'm feeling a little bit regretful. I know I can adjust to this, but it's so goddamned disorienting when they re-design the interface to this extent.

As per usual when designers tweak things, they seem to have removed some nice features and options. I'm literally just beginning to test this out, but here are a couple of observations (which you can also take as questions, in case you have ideas or solutions). The first thing I noticed right out of the gate is that when viewing the music library, they have removed the "cover flow" formatting at the top of the screen. At the moment, I see no option for restoring that.

There are now five headings for viewing music: "songs", "albums", "artists", "genres", and "radio". I don't see how these in any way make it easier to view things, but there you go.

Click on "songs", and you get a list layout of everything (with the headings you've set up previously under "view options", which fortunately can still be clicked for sorting purposes). No album artwork, except for a small thumbnail at the very top, adjacent to the player controls. If you click on the artwork, you get a new player window that can be enlarged (as with the old design). So, it seems to me they have only taken away something we had (and gotten very accustomed to), which was cover flow. In addition to this, I no longer see the option for changing the view layout (list, grid, etc). Wtf? Again, they have taken away.

When you click on the "albums" heading, you get a grid layout, which is organized alphabetically by artist (under the "view options" menu, they can only be organized by title, genre, year, or rating; and secondarily by title, artist, year and rating). When you click on an album, a horizontal bar comes up with tracks and timings. The odd thing is that the background color of the horizontal bar is automatically taken from the main color of the album artwork, and the artwork itself (to the far right of the bar) becomes slightly blurred.

When you click on the "artists" heading, you get a column on the left with a small cover thumbnail and an alphabetical artist list; and a combo grid/list with an album cover thumbnail. Under "view options", this thumbnail is adjustable in size, but with just 5 preset sizes. Far less flexible than the old interface.

Okay, now I'm annoyed. I just discovered that the "search library" feature (which has always been the primary saving grace when all else fails me) has apparently been significantly altered. As a test, I just tried it for the first time in this new version, and it no longer searches in all data fields. I have always entered sideman data into the "comments" field, and I could always bring up a list of all the albums that a given player was on. This no longer seems to work. It appears that it now only searches song titles, artists, and album titles.

That's all I have (and all I can stand) at the moment. If/when you try this, please share your reactions...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've been bugged by iTunes to download the new version but I always tell the programme to fuck off. Glad I do, having seen what you're saying.

MG

[Jim R]

In case any of the real Mac experts show up here, I'd be curious to know about the possibilities of uninstalling version 11 and going back to the previous version. I've tried searching for info on this, and it looks like it might be messier than it's worth, but I'm open to ideas.

[JSngry]

I always tell the programme to fuck off.

More often than not, I've found that to be a propitious rule for life in general.

[mjzee]

I started playing with it last night. Like you, I'm annoyed by the lack of Cover Flow, because I enjoy looking at a large album cover when I listen to a track. However, I found that clicking on the album cover at the top of the screen causes a large window containing the album graphic to open, which amounts to much the same thing.

[Jim R]

However, I found that clicking on the album cover at the top of the screen causes a large window containing the album graphic to open, which amounts to much the same thing.

I know- I mentioned that in my first post today. It's not really the same thing, in terms of being able to scroll in cover flow. Plus, it involves more effort to open the new window and manually resize the image. Aren't upgrades supposed to make things more convenient?

The re-designed search function is really disappointing me. It used to be that you could just enter a word (a name, a title, whatever), and a grouping of everything containing that word would automatically come up as a group that could be sorted, edited, played, etc. Now, results come up as a drop-down menu where you can only select one result. It's now less useful, less convenient... a big step backward.

[Steve Gray]

However, I found that clicking on the album cover at the top of the screen causes a large window containing the album graphic to open, which amounts to much the same thing.

The re-designed search function is really disappointing me. It used to be that you could just enter a word (a name, a title, whatever), and a grouping of everything containing that word would automatically come up as a group that could be sorted, edited, played, etc. Now, results come up as a drop-down menu where you can only select one result. It's now less useful, less convenient... a big step backward.

In the drop down menu, the first item is an option to show the list in the main screen. For it to appear they way you are used to, you need to be in 'songs' mode when you do this.

So you can do it, but I agree that this is a retrograde step.

[Noj]

Downloaded the new version last night, and that new search function is the main thing that's pissing me off. Not only for the reasons you guys are discussing, but now the searches do not access the iPod. They ONLY search what's in iTunes. I have 22,136 songs on my iPod, I do not keep that much music on my laptop. Now I have to scroll through the whole damn iPod to find songs. A big step back. I think they buried the quality control staff with Jobs like servants with the pharaoh.

[tranemonk]

Yea I'm not to fond of the new version either... Other than the playlist feature, it's really hard trying to find what I just played..

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Downloaded the new version last night, and that new search function is the main thing that's pissing me off. Not only for the reasons you guys are discussing, but now the searches do not access the iPod. They ONLY search what's in iTunes. I have 22,136 songs on my iPod, I do not keep that much music on my laptop. Now I have to scroll through the whole damn iPod to find songs. A big step back. I think they buried the quality control staff with Jobs like servants with the pharaoh.

I didn't know that my old version, which I'm still using, could access my ipod. How did you do that? Is it something that's only a feature if you've got a Mac computer?

MG

[Noj]

It used to at least search the iPod, MG. So if I was making a playlist on it, I would use the search function to find songs to include. Now, it doesn't search the iPod at all and only pulls results from iTunes. You need a separate program such as iPod Access to get past the annoying block Apple has on pulling tracks off the iPod.

[Quincy]

Well, I thought I might try to help but I lost all of my fucking playlists...

Edit - Rant deleted. iTunes did not delete my playlists as I don't have any on this machine. This is sad on my part but I forgot that I don't even mess with iTunes on my MacBook Air. Too early in the morning & not enough coffee...

Edited December 2, 2012 by Quincy

[Bluesnik]

I think they buried the quality control staff with Jobs like servants with the pharaoh.

And it's good you all post this because I still haven't updated and think I won't. I'm too fond of the interface and functionality on version 10. Like you say here everytime I update I cross my fingers and expect the worse but I think there must be improvements coming, but it's not always like this.

[.:.impossible]

I rip discs to my server. iTunes has always been terrible for anything but ripping directly to the drive that the software is installed on, and of course buying music from iTunes. Two things I rarely do.

I haven't intentional opened iTunes in a long while.