You're Not Paranoid...

[mishalak]

I did what I always do when iTunes said, "Hey wanna upgrade to iTunes 8?", I refused. I was going to check the web later and tonight I finally go around to it before bed. And hey, what do you know lots of users complaning. I don't have vista so I wouldn't have gotten one of the blue screens of death, but I do have iTunes working pretty much the way I want to so why mess with it?

It probably isn't the most healthy of habits to be constantly suspicious of upgrades... But there certainly seems to be plenty of reason to be suspicious. I remember at least one in the past that caused me no end of troubles around the time of the iPhone release. Particularly frustraiting since I do not have and still do not intend to get an iPhone. So I'll be doing what I usually do. Wait until something breaks to upgrade. If my system isn't broken I'm not going to fix it.

Someday this is likely to bite me in the ass when I refuse an upgrade I actually need. But damn it, I don't need the frustration of being an uncompensated beta tester. Because that's how Apple and most other computer companies treat their public. We're all their beta testers.

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I really like the Genius playlist feature. If only Apple knew about half my music collection it would be even better.

[ckd]

My biggest annoyance with the Genius feature is that the store suggestions are too good.

Yeah, really. It keeps suggesting that I buy "Album Only" bonus tracks for albums I already own (on CD, rather than from the iTunes Store)! Grr.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

http://cultofmac.com/first-impressions-itunes-8/2753
"Unfortunately, it’s not intelligent enough to spot slightly different meta info to what the iTunes Store uses, and so often offers tracks you already have. Also, the recommendations vary wildly, and it’s not so great if your music taste is eclectic. Expect to see the ‘Genius sidebar could not find matches for your specific selection, but here are the Top Songs and Albums in the iTunes Store‘ message enough times to make you hurl your Mac out of the window."

Given my musical tastes and the fact that I've changed the tags on 90% of my music I expect the feature would be perfectly useless to me.

Plus they eliminated preferences that I use like turning off the damn links to the iTunes store. I've never actually purchased anything from iTunes. Never. Why would I? It is more expensive than going down to the used CD store.

Additionally I suspect I'll have to go back through and eliminate all sorts of stupid things from my windows startup because as with all software companies the idiot programmers at Apple think their stuff is just so important it ought to load the minute my computer turns on regardless of how often I use it. I don't use *&^% quick time every day or even every month, why would I want it taking up memory space all the time? Not to mention all the other little sub-applications that will undoubtedly be there.

And most importantly to me are the reports of even decent computers lagging badly due to the new software. So it's "thanks, but NEVER" for me. I'll upgrade when they I'm finally forced to and not a second before.

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

I took 7.7.1, and boy, was I sorry.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I have the last version before 8 I think. 7.7.1.11, but only because I traded computers and put itunes on my newer machine. Since it is bloatware it really needs the faster CPU and more RAM.

[actiasluna.livejournal.com]

I had one upgrade delete all of my playlist info. I didn't lose the music, itself. Thank gods. But it is super tedious to go back and re-categorize 70 gig worth of music.

So, I'm totally with you on the paranoid thing.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I think I remember having that happen to me as well as losing all my volume adjustments when I moved from one computer to another. iTunes is far from perfect, but I use it because I have an iPod and it seems marginally better than many of the other programs.