iTunes 7.0 is a Laggard
September 18th, 2006
Like every other possibly drooling nerd, I downloaded the latest iTunes release from Apple. For the most part, it’s the biggest upgrade to the software in some years. Probably since the iTunes Music Store was added. My belief is that without iTunes the iPod would be an also-ran. I’m sure you have statistics that tell me otherwise, but without iTunes and it’s tight iPod integration, there would be no compelling reason to use an iPod. Few
seem to get that, but others nail it dead on.
There have been a number of reviews/walkthroughs, tuaw, CNET 7.8/10 and Ars Technica, which if I were to parrot, would cause a hemorrhage or aneurysm or embolism of some kind and a redundancy quotient higher than we’re comfortable with.
Managing an iPod has never been easier. The iPod tabs get a huge makeover and the visual graph that shows how much space each type of media takes is a great way to instantly see the storage status. If you want to, you can set quotas for whatever you want; more space for music v. videos? No problem. Very nice.
Also very nice is gapless playback. If you have a 5th generation iPod, this works out of the box. There have been reports of it causing problems for Windows users, but I believe if you mess with your crossfade settings, that may be a cure for some users (like turning it off then on again or turning the audio “Sound Enhancer” off then on again).
But then there is the issue of Cover Flow, the whimsical and addictive media cover browser that Apple bought and includes right inside iTunes 7. The only problem is that if you don’t have some killer hardware, it’s slow as shit clicking the new browse buttons. My once snappy iBook with 1.5 gigs of RAM turns into a Commodore VIC-20 with cassette drive. Do any of you people even know what cassettes are? And once I click one of those buttons, the entire interface turns to laggy sludge. Stopping playback, skipping tracks and selecting playlists causes a wait like nothing I’ve seen since at least the first Clinton term.
If you have upgraded to iTunes 7, do you like it? Is it slower than version 6? Does make you want to kick something as hard as you can and then run right to the airport and buy a one way ticket to Cupertino (except that Cupertino might not have an airport serviced by the major carriers so you’d be stuck in San Jose or San Francisco and the traffic, God, the TRAFFIC! making you angrier) where you’ll spend 37 minutes carrying your PowerPC 7200 and it’s 1 gig hard drive into the lobby and hurling it at the first person who walks by resembling Steve Jobs? o
September 18th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
I’ve upgraded to it on my Inspiron with T2500 and 2 GB of RAM, and I don’t notice any particular speed difference from 6, or any issue with crossfade (yet). I’m not super-impressed, but I have a gen4 and don’t watch videos on my iPod (nor do I want to). It did take me a trip to the Help to discover where they moved the Import CD button to (why did they, exactly?). When you’re used to something…
September 19th, 2006 at 12:07 am
I have an iBook with half the RAM you do and a 1.2 processor and I’m not having the issues you’re having with iTunes 7. Yes, there is a little lag, but it’s very, very slight. Not a problem. I just upgraded and haven’t tried making a playlist with a jam-packed hard drive and 6 programs open. If the lag increases it could be an issue.
September 19th, 2006 at 12:09 am
Hey Doc,
On the Mac version there’s no longer a need for an import CD button. iTunes asks you if you want to import in a pop up window.
September 19th, 2006 at 12:10 am
When I upgraded, it re-imported all my music, so now I have two copies of every song I have. When I play an album, it now plays every song twice in a row: Track 1, Track 1, Track 2, Track 2…etc.
I can’t even fit my music onto my iPod now, so I can’t say how it works with that.
September 19th, 2006 at 12:29 am
i love the new itunes! the visual element of the entire program is much nicer and cleaner. i think it makes using an ipod much easier, and opens the doors to new markets. love the review!
September 19th, 2006 at 12:30 am
I just upgraded to iTunes 7, and my admittedly aged Toshiba Satellite is having some issues. Everything is just great unless I attempt to actually play music
For now I’m still so enamoured with my new iPod that I don’t really care about stuttery playback and lagging on my PC, but I’m sure that it will be very annoying, very soon…
September 19th, 2006 at 1:37 am
I think the new iTunes is pretty swanky. I never knew that there was an import CD button, as I always had it set to automatically import cds when I put them into the CD drive. But that’s just me.
As for iTunes being the driving force behind the iPod selling so well? I disagree. The fact that any joe schmoe can pick up an iPod and figure out how to use it is the number one feature, IMO. The *only* thing I use iTunes for is to copy music onto the iPod. And even then, I’m only using iTunes because the Winamp iPod plugin (which lets you copy your music OFF the iPod as well as ON, and doesn’t require you to wipe your iPod if you try to connect it to a different machine) doesn’t seem to work properly with my gf’s iPod. But then, I don’t listen to music on my PC, so…
September 19th, 2006 at 2:10 am
Thanks, Jon, for confirming my reservations. For various reasons I’ve been putting off upgrading, and may not until there’s more clarity on the issues you raise. I frankly never liked CoverFlow (I far prefer the flexibility of GimmeSomeTune + Growl) and don’t want it built-in, particularly if it’s going to gum up the works.
Question: anyone know how I can disable the nag-window to upgrade to 7.0 that pops up EVERY TIME I open iTunes?
September 19th, 2006 at 4:15 am
Sent your post to my hubby. He downloaded 7.0 to his pc and said it gave everything in his library a cheap tin sound. He also lost his library when he trashed it and went back to his earlier version.
September 19th, 2006 at 5:59 am
I upgraded to it on my iBook G4, and I’m also still running a 4th Gen. 60GB Photo iPod, so the video stuff? Meh. But still, I like the upgrades and new features.
However…it won’t recognize my Address Book app anymore. Every time I try to get the thing to sync up contacts, it tells me I have no contacts in my Address Book (Lies…all lies…) and that I need to open the Address Book and add some contacts. I’ve even tried clicking on the Open Address Book button that dialog box gives me and then just entering a couple of test addresses to see if maybe that would trigger whatever link needs to be there, but no luck. It’s highly annoying — I’d gotten very used to using my iPod for on-the-go phone numbers and addresses.
If that would resolve itself, I’d be very happy. Haven’t had any processor problems at all — everything seems to be running pretty smoothly so far.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:18 am
To: s gazzetti
With iTunes, ver 6, the nag-window has a checkbox for “do not ask me again” and it worked on our PC w/XP …. sort of an iPeach.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:56 am
I have an ANCIENT Powerbook (3 years old, same as my ancient iPod - good lord it has buttons! black and white display!) and, well, you should have seen it try to process 21,000 tracks for gapless playback. The saddest thing is that I really love the CoverFlow technology. I had the old program and everything, but was hoping to see the lag issues addressed. It didn’t work as it should have then, and it doesn’t now, either. Time to start saving for a new MacBook, I guess.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:14 am
I’ve got an iBook G4 with 1gb RAM and I’ve not had any trouble with the cover flow slowing down playback or seeming laggy otherwise. I tend to flip wildly in cover flow view, too… it’s new and fun and I can’t help myself. I love the new iTunes!
September 19th, 2006 at 8:12 am
I’ve downloaded it, I have an older iBook G3 and while I like the looks of the new iTunes, it’s not getting along very well with my iPod. So, off to the Apple Store I go, to see why my iPod is now “corrupt.”
September 19th, 2006 at 8:14 am
I upgraded on my Power Book G4 and I LOVE my iTunes and I would die without my iPod. Die, I tell you. Of course I’m also in love with my new Dashboard from upgrading my system, and am greatly distracted by the Yahtzee someone put on it . . .
September 19th, 2006 at 8:29 am
The Cover Flow works beautifully on my Alienware laptop. And I haven’t noticed any glitches running iTunes 7 on windows.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:34 am
I downloaded 7 the day it came out. I am quite proud of my mac nerdery. I have not had any problems with it and have been very pleased with all the changes. A guy at my work who has a g4 powerbook has had some issues with it being slow, but at the same time my laptop at home seem to run it fine (also a G4 Powerbook).
Anyways I agree if you feel like you have a slower mac you might want to hold off on it or get a new computer.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:34 am
yes. yes. and yes. I think I have the same iBook, but iTunes and iWeb both make it run slower than $%^&. In fact, I don’t think I’ve really used it since I upgraded (I usually have it on in the background at all times). I haven’t synced (sunc?) my iPod to it yet. And I don’t like the way the window looks (as in: not like Safari any more
).
September 19th, 2006 at 8:35 am
iBook 1.2 GHz with 1.25 gig of RAM = zero problems. No hiccups and no fidelity loss. A sweet and painless upgrade as far as I’m concerned (same goes for the duel 2.0 GHz with 3 gigs of RAM at home).
I LOVE having artwork a part of my listening experience again. I forgot how much that adds.
Quite frankly, I think that the problem is you Jon. IT doesn’t like you. IT thinks you are inferior. IT thinks you are mean spirited in your reviews. IT was baptized Mormon a few months ago and is mighty thin skinned and testy about your Mo-hatin’.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:44 am
Not a single issue on my 2×2ghz G5. Cover Flow is “smooth as buttah” here. I spent some time cleaning up my library and adding more art, and discovered a lot of music I had forgotten I had.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:46 am
patatomic, next time you call for tech support, you will be treated to hold music. Featuring hits of the 80s.
September 19th, 2006 at 8:53 am
Looking forward to it…I just love those Devo fellas, and that Madonna. Isn’t she a gas?
September 19th, 2006 at 9:05 am
Jon, if you’re looking to torture me then just dip into Heather’s Brit Rock collection (minus the Radiohead).
Don’t worry…this is my last comment.
September 19th, 2006 at 9:07 am
I love the new look, mostly. I miss being able to see exactly what is on my iPod, but other than that the new intergration is great. It sucks if I want to play music on the computer — slow and stuttery (and my computer is neither old nor slow), and I’m debating rolling back until the first update appears.
September 19th, 2006 at 9:24 am
My smallest but angriest gripe: I hate that the new icon is blue instead of green so that it blends in with my Windows taskbar AND looks a lot like the Internet Explorer icon. When I think iTunes, I think “little green musical note”!