iTunes: a completely useless addon to my iPhone
August 16th, 2008
I don’t generally hate on iTunes like some people do, it’s the software that comes with my various iPods and now my iPhone and I’m generally happy with that except there is no Linux version which does bug me slightly. I do the right thing, I don’t hack my iPhone or for that matter my previous iPods and I don’t go out looking for an open source alternative.
What does really piss me off though is that I have this wonderful technology which integrates with the web and gives me access to music, film and television shows. Well that’s the story, the reality is that iTunes Australia is weak, lame even.
You have a choice of like five or six actual television shows, not counting children’s cartoons etc. I was so excited that Star Trek remastered was being made available via iTunes! Score! Since no channel in Australia is carrying it (I don’t think, Ten HD has a scifi night so maybe they are which means shit all to me because I have an older TV) I’ll just buy it and download it to my iPhone.
Wrong.
That’s not available in that backwards lame version of iTunes.
No Dr Horrible either.
We got Lost though.
I don’t want Lost.
Ok forget TV then, that’s fine I’ll just resign myself to not watching it unless I go for a stroll down to Cousin Larry’s, remembering that I am willing to pay for it, just not the $250 for the now redundant format that Season one is available in (yes I know it’s going on sale for $99 - really though people, dead format). That’s cool but I got to change that stupid ring tone on the iPhone though!
Well that will cost you.
Really?
Like three bucks? To buy and convert a song to ring tone. Fine, it’s your system I just love my phone, I don’t understand all this other crap.
Oh cool I’ll buy Black Sabbath Iron Man for a cool ring tone. Yay I have now bought ‘Iron Man’ now lets convert that to a ring tone.
Ummmm
But?
It said that I could….
But?
Arrrrm.
OK fine I’ll read the instructions.
Right, the instructions say that I can convert a song that I’ve bought…
How?
Oh for grud’s sake!?!?
More reading…
Some searching on the forums…
What the fuck am I doing wrong!?!?
Ahhhh look for the bell symbol. Iron Man doesn’t have that. Oh so I can’t convert it. That’s fine, rookie mistake. I’ll just buy some other song and convert it.
Um
No bell symbol…?
On ANY song!?!?!?!?
Are you kidding me?
Why does Apple hate me because I’m Australian!?!?
Pffft. Whatever, oh look a couple of sites have ways around that so you can turn any song into a ring tone, even one you ‘gasp’ bought on CD first.
That’s more money you miss from me Apple. I wanted to give it to you, I’m stupid enough to want to give you cash to do what should be free anyway, but would you take my money? No. My money is too Australian for you.
Lessons for Apple iTunes Australia:
- Give us more content - especially TV shows… especially Star Trek
- Ring tones - really? charging for conversion? No, include it if I buy the song and make it available.
- Oh I guess I only had two points there.
Oh and internet providers - learn from iinet - downloads from iTunes should not count towards your download limit, Apple you should broker that with all the major internet providers in Australia, it makes good business sense and… oh whatever, it’s your business, unless you want to give me a job?
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Categories: Star Trek, Stuff | Tags: australia, internet, iphone, ipod, iTunes, Star Trek
I loath iTunes because it is so counter intuitive to the way I think. Not sure if I’ve been brainwashed by Microsoft, then again most of their software drives me batty also. Perhaps I’m just not logical enough for the software or is it not logical enough for me?
Maritas last blog post..Smiley Saturday
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By Lee on August 16th, 2008 | Reply
I don’t really use iTunes the program so much - just to transfer stuff from my computer to the iPhone. My beef is primarily with the iTunes store (which is ironic since I’m a vegetarian!) and it’s lack of actual content in the TV shows section.
I feel a rant coming on about DVD region encoding too
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I love itunes. Whatever.
You want to learn a completely free and simple way to make your own ringtones?
allens last blog post..Simply music
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By Lee on August 17th, 2008 | Reply
Ummm no, I said in the post that I read a couple of sites that illustrate how to do it. I also downloaded a freeware program that does the job too.
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Another reason you will want to use itunes is simplify media. I highly recommend it. Allows you to play music from other people’s playlist no matter where you are as long as you have an internet connection.
I have info on that as well. I love it. Use it every day.
allens last blog post..Simply music
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By Lee on August 17th, 2008 | Reply
Mmmm I’m not sure if you read the post, or maybe I didn’t make it clear enough - I use iTunes already, have done for a long time, ever since my first iPod and the program is fine, the iTunes Australian store however is a complete waste of time for me as it doesn’t have all the features that its US counterpart does and certainly doesn’t have the range of shows.
Since I run a windows machine, media player handles all of my music and video playing requirements (I’m not saying it’s better but it’s not really worse at what I want it to do so I don’t need two music players) - thus making iTunes essentially useless to me apart from syncing my iPhone.
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Yeah, sorry, didn’t read the whole post, was on an airplane reading rss on my iphone. Only got part of the way through and decided to comment.
I am finding a great deal of fun with Simplify. In addition to iTunes it works with WinAmp and Rhythm Box. It’s pretty great. Sorry you are having such a bad time with Apple. I have yet to be crushed by disappointment but I am a recent convert so I still think I can see jesus.
allens last blog post..Simply music
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By Lee on August 17th, 2008 | Reply
LOL we won’t run after you with pitchforks and flaming torches just yet.
I love my iPhone and everything about it except that bloody store that is just a lame version of the US store. The big problem is that here in Australia our broadband plans are so poor in comparison to the rest of the world especially for a country that has such a huge uptake in the technology.
I couldn’t download all of season one Star Trek even if it were available as it would take all of my download bandwidth for the month.
So Apple isn’t entirely at fault I just wish we got all the stuff that the US does online. Generally I defend Apple more than condemn
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By Nicolas Papaconstantinou on August 19th, 2008 | Reply
I generally find that the iTunes store runs too damn slow, too. Unreasonably slow, considering.
Also, even if they’ve fixed their crazy DRM, I will always feel burnt by the couple of albums I bought, and now can’t do a damn thing with.
I can’t defend Apple any more. I always chose to think that there was something admirable in the support that friends of mine gave to the smaller, cooler company - although of course didn’t let it stop me arguing with them. But now, everything Apple does smacks too much of corporate nonsense, and encourages a level of conformity of use that I just can’t work with.
Still, though, find iTunes easier to use than Windows Media Player. For some reason, it fits my way of thinking better.
And, also, the iPod Touch I’m borrowing from work is pretty nice. Despite the basic flaws in it’s execution, music player wise.
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By Lee on August 19th, 2008 | Reply
I kind of get irritated by them too that I know in a month or so they’ll have a bloody iPhone Nano which will blow my iPhone out of the water LOL
Hey I tried commenting over on your site and the captcha thingy isn’t working, and I had so much to say about Fantastic Four!
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By Nicolas Papaconstantinou on August 19th, 2008 | Reply
Oh… Ey? I didn’t think it even had Captcha… gimme a second… Nope, your comment was fine. For some reason it ended up in moderation, but it’s free, now!
Am going to go and read it. I’d be interested to know what you remember about what happened…!
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I love iTunes but like you have real issues with the Australian iTunes store. Pffft, what a waste of real estate that is. Well, strictly speaking, not if you want current songs. If you’re after TV shows and you’re over about 5 years old, or older songs then bloody good luck to you. Cause you aint gonna get it. Not from the iTunes store anyway.
My son and I had a “discussion” about this the other day as he had seen something on the Apple US site and thought that he could get it through iTunes. It took me about 15 minutes to convince him that you can get it if you’re in the US but not here, cause the powers that be at Apple decided that we can’t have it.
Gemishts last blog post..The Post I Didn’t Write
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By Lee on August 20th, 2008 | Reply
Yeah as I mentioned I got really excited by the prospect of downloading Star Trek only to discover because I don’t live in the US I don’t matter
. You sum up the limitations of the TV selection really well!!
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I know how u feel. Ive been wanting to see the 3rd part of Dr. Horrible but I can’t coz it’s not available.
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By Lee on August 20th, 2008 | Reply
That was the first time that iTunes Australia really annoyed me, because I had so much trouble connecting to the Dr Horrible site that I said stuff it I’ll just buy it and download it and yup, as you discovered it’s not available!
Apparently they are working on the digital rights for Australia but don’t hold your breath until the DVD comes out.
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