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sburrell
18-09-2009, 20:26
Hi,

I'm holding off on updating to this for various reasons. Any opinions yet on whether it offers any sonic improvements on OS X?
:popcorn:

SteveW
18-09-2009, 21:06
OS X is an operating system
iTunes 9 is a bit of Apple software what plays music files.

sburrell
18-09-2009, 21:22
Hahaha that's cool, I guess my post could be read that way! You'd never guess I graduated in Linguistics! :doh:

No, when I said "on OS X" I meant as opposed to Windows. To paraphrase: does the OS X version of iTunes 9 offer any sonic improvements?:)

Alex_UK
18-09-2009, 21:51
I read it the way you intended Simon - but then I recalled you're a Mac user. Not quite on topic, but related, v 9 on Windows Vista doesn't sound any different to my cloth ears, but only limited listening so far.

SteveW
19-09-2009, 08:47
Sorry Simon...its me being a bit fick.

I've updated to itunes9 on our Mac's. Its a much better interface than previously, but whether it offers any sonic improvements is doubtful. Wish I could upgrade to Snow Leopard, which does apparantely offer improvements, but I can't/ Built in obsolescence ...cheers Apple.

From what I've been shown though ...Flacs ripped on a PC sound better than Flacs or Apple Lossless on Macs (before Snow Leopard anyway)...and itunes can't play these anyway...again...Cheers Apple.

roob
19-09-2009, 11:53
Check around the mac forums there are a lot of people saying iTunes 9 sounds shit and there are problems with streaming. I have upgraded and to be honest it sounds fine to me.
There is a discussion here
http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=68473

sburrell
20-09-2009, 00:07
@Roob: What a coinkidink!* That's the exact thread that prompted me to post the iTunes 9 query here in the first place :cool:

@SteveW: Nae probs. The "on OS X" was actually an afterthought I realised was necessary not to get a flood of Windows-focused replies (throws a brief, but piercing glance in Alex_UK's direction ;) ).
By the way, you have my sympathy for presumably owning a PowerPC Mac. :( Still, Leopard updates look to be at least moderately forthcoming.
Also, regarding FLAC playback in iTunes: I've never used it, but apparently Fluke (http://blowintopieces.com/fluke/) enables this.

*Totally gratuitous Orgazmo reference.

Werner Berghofer
20-09-2009, 07:57
Steve,
Its a much better interface than previouslyI don’t share this opinion. The visual design is not uniform anymore (white background in the main window when viewing CD covers, black background in the coverflow and ”Now playing“ windows). And once again Apple is the first to ignore the human interface guidelines which itself has published: The appearance of the upper part and the title bar of the iTunes window is completely different from all other applications.

SteveW
20-09-2009, 09:18
Steve,I don’t share this opinion. The visual design is not uniform anymore (white background in the main window when viewing CD covers, black background in the ”Currently playing“ window). And once again Apple is the first to ignore the human interface guidelines which it has published: The appearance of the upper part and the title bar of the iTunes window is completely different from all other applications.

Each to their own.
Seems most changes are in the itunes store bit, and to me, its much easier to scroll across to see extra stuff rather than having to wait for the page to 'refresh'. And I like the drop down menus.
\The best part though is using 'genius' on my ipod touch's Remote application. ((you would have to be familiar to have a clue !) Now I can have a random generation from all my itunes library of music that is associated. Just the thing for a lazy sod like me.

Werner Berghofer
20-09-2009, 09:42
Steve,
Seems most changes are in the itunes storethat’s true, the new design is much better. However, I don’t use the iTunes Music Store. 256 kbit AAC sounds terrible to my ears.

SteveW
20-09-2009, 11:56
Steve,that’s true, the new design is much better. However, I don’t use the iTunes Music Store. 256 kbit AAC sounds terrible to my ears.

Don't know about terrible...but I resent paying for that level of quality. Better off paying £10 a month for Spotify's 320k. Or do what I do. buy the CD or hi-res download and rip/store on hard drive.

Only time I've bought from itunes is when wine has been involved :cool::cool:

Alex_UK
20-09-2009, 12:31
Don't know about terrible...but I resent paying for that level of quality. Better off paying £10 a month for Spotify's 320k. Or do what I do. buy the CD or hi-res download and rip/store on hard drive.

Only time I've bought from itunes is when wine has been involved :cool::cool:

Agree with all of that - Spotify Premium is a steal at £10 a month - very few artists that I'm interested in are not on there, and I now listen to it pretty much exclusively when working instead of the ipod. There are a few "itunes exclusives" where I've felt I had no choice, in the past though, and I do resent it.

Anyway, someone get this thread back on topic quick before I get another "piercing glance" ;) :laser:

SteveW
20-09-2009, 16:02
Agree with all of that - Spotify Premium is a steal at £10 a month - very few artists that I'm interested in are not on there, and I now listen to it pretty much exclusively when working instead of the ipod. There are a few "itunes exclusives" where I've felt I had no choice, in the past though, and I do resent it.

Anyway, someone get this thread back on topic quick before I get another "piercing glance" ;) :laser:

On Topic ? Nah.. LOL :lolsign: LOL
Where else but on Spotify can I find and play the French version of Sunday Girl by Blondie?

Wonderful...:gig:

sburrell
20-09-2009, 16:03
Don't know about terrible...but I resent paying for that level of quality. Better off paying £10 a month for Spotify's 320k. Or do what I do. buy the CD or hi-res download and rip/store on hard drive.

Only time I've bought from itunes is when wine has been involved :cool::cool:

I have to agree. I've got a few iTunes purchases, but I'd far rather buy the CD, because of the greater fidelity and (here comes the Scots spirit in me) the ability to sell them on later and recoup purchasing costs. Mind you, considering I'm exclusively buying old releases just now that's generally a very cheap pursuit. Hi-res downloads interest me (eg. Linn Records' Studio Masters (http://www.linnrecords.com/catalogue.aspx?format=studio)) though. Is there a thread somewhere on the forum listing the available outlets for these?

Anyway, I had a wee peek at iTunes 9 in my local Apple reseller, and have to agree that the interface for the iTunes Store is much improved—though is it true the "Shopping Cart" option is gone? Perhaps it's just been replaced by a "wish list" or something? I'm still on iTunes 8 and clicking my Shopping Cart still brings up my list (only one song, Dario G's "Sunchyme") so the functionality hasn't been removed at the server end.
The choice of the white background for the Album view does seem odd, given the fact Coverflow still operates in black. :scratch:
Oh, and I didn't check: does searching bring up the List view or Album view now? I'm amongst a large group of those who disapprove of Apple's decision to change it to List view by default.

@Alex_UK: I think I'm due myself a hefty stare too, after this post. But when I'm done with the mirror you're for it, pal! :steam:;)

SteveW
20-09-2009, 16:29
don't really know what the Shopping Cart option was?..You can hit a button to purchase, or next to it is a drop down arrow/menu for Gift this album, Add to Wish List, Tell a Friend, Copy Link...and also Share on Facebook, and Share on Twitter.

As Toya once said...Its a Myshhtery

sburrell
20-09-2009, 20:53
don't really know what the Shopping Cart option was?..You can hit a button to purchase, or next to it is a drop down arrow/menu for Gift this album, Add to Wish List, Tell a Friend, Copy Link...and also Share on Facebook, and Share on Twitter.

This is what iTunes used to have:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_gXAKzRcxI1U/SraVCJuBJ_I/AAAAAAAAAHI/WQNCRVTVlb8/s800/1-Click.png

I'm guessing only 1-Click is available now.

The Share on… options are interesting.

webby
20-09-2009, 21:39
I'd far rather buy the CD, because of the greater fidelity and (here comes the Scots spirit in me) the ability to sell them on later and recoup purchasing costs.

If you keep a copy (on cd, or on hard drive) and then sell the original, that's technically illegal. Or so I've been told.

sburrell
20-09-2009, 22:46
If you keep a copy (on cd, or on hard drive) and then sell the original, that's technically illegal. Or so I've been told.

That's certainly the way I view it myself. So also, though, is ripping the CD in the first place—at least, in the UK:


In the United Kingdom, making a private copy of copyrighted media without the copyright owner's consent is illegal: this includes ripping music from a CD to a computer or digital music player. The UK government has made proposals to allow people to make copies of music for personal use. According to one survey, 55% of British consumers believed ripping a CD to be legal, and 59% admitted to doing it.
(from Wikipedia, here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripping#Other))

Of interest is the citation of an article from 2008 by the BBC, which specifically mentions that, under a broadening of the Copyright Laws:


Owners would not be allowed to sell or give away their original discs once they had made a copy.

All sounds fair to me.

webby
22-09-2009, 08:39
Fair yes, but the first part, well, for me, that makes iTunes (or any software that allows you to rip a cd) illegal. But then I guess it's like buying a car that does 155mph. You don't HAVE to do that :)

Interesting stuff tho.

The Vinyl Adventure
22-09-2009, 16:32
I know this doesn't relate to the current train on convo, but I recon it should be noted that iTunes 9 is much quicker an backing up the iPhone. 8 got to the point that I had to plug it in and I could leave it while I had lunch and it would still be chugging away when I got back (that's a nearly full 32gb iPhone)

trailer
24-09-2009, 07:44
iTunes 9.0.1 was released yesterday.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL927