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:

  1. Give us more content - especially TV shows…   especially Star Trek
  2. Ring tones - really? charging for conversion?   No, include it if I buy the song and make it available.
  3. 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: , , , , , | 15 Comments