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- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:02 PM

Seeing that screenshot reminds me of one major flaw of iTunes using it's own custom interface: Non-antialiased edges

thunderous_funker · Oct 16, 2003, 03:05 PM

:massive sigh of relief and blissful satisfaction:

Its very very very nice. Good job Apple. The interface is clean and solid. All the features seem to work flawlessly. Haven't tried to burn anything yet, but it auto detected my CDRW drive without a hitch (xp pro).

Streaming radio while running usual apps and working on usual tasks has CPU at 20-40% on a P3 600 with 256 RAM. Not bad at all.

Window resizing is very very slow, but this isn't a fast box. Anyone else?

I'll be testing the sharing features this afternoon after I collaborate with coworkers.

Now its time to finally say goodbye to winamp and windows media player (Hot Damn!!!!). Mercy, how I do hate those applications with all my being. Maybe I can even say goodbye to realplayer. Oh, dare to dream, dare to dream.....

Thank you, Apple. You've made me a very happy man.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:07 PM

Does it support WMA?

- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:08 PM

Spot the feature: Error-correction when importing music CDs.

Dragging store-links out of iTunes

kmkkid · Oct 16, 2003, 03:08 PM

CPU while playing a song without the vis is 2-3%, with the vis on it's largest mode 56%. And it's only using 19 MB of ram, so not that bad.

As for the fonts, Apple should have used a font which antialiases at a lower size. Font smoothing is within the font itself on windows. Or people could turn on cleartype, but that looks crappy on CRT's.

I'm happy with the port, cept the sound is a bit hollow. And low and behold the most important feature - the music store mode, gives iTunes for windows REALLY laggy resize.

And one little UI gripe. When hitting the restore button, iTunes goes into mini mode, somethings wrong with that concept. They should have used a different symbol.

Chris

Scotttheking · 03:21 PM

Originally posted by benb:
Microsoft doesn't even officially support 98. Apple doesn't offer iTunes for OS9 either any more?

You people want the whole world. Giftwrapped. To go.

I'm pretty sure Microsoft does still support win98. I believe it's until late 2004.

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
Uh, Win 98? Can you blame Apple? Seriously, you use Win 98 at work probably because if they updated their OS they'd have to update their major apps and hardware (and tech support) for your machine and they can't afford the time, effort, and money yet, or don't care.

Home consumers, as a rule, aren't businesses. Apple is not catering iTunes to Windows businesses. The end.

Funny, win98 is the most used windows operating system, and the one used by most homes.
As for why I use it, simple. Most of our customers use it, and my job is to make sure that the apps work for them.
At any time I will have 2-4 machines on my desk, running any windows OS. My laptop runs win98.
At work we have machines from dos 6.22 and on. I'm not expecting itunes for that, but it'd be nice if it was on the main OSes that are in use by people.
Your reasons for why I'm probably running win98 are quite amusing, seeing how every one is wrong.
I never said I was "blaming" apple. It's just that they won't get my business.

You all keep arguing about win98. My statement remains the same.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:17 PM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
And one little UI gripe. When hitting the restore button, iTunes goes into mini mode, somethings wrong with that concept. They should have used a different symbol.

Restore-button? The one with two windows on it? That seems even more of a logical symbol than the + we use if you ask me.

kmkkid · Oct 16, 2003, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
Restore-button? The one with two windows on it? That seems even more of a logical symbol than the + we use if you ask me.

Yeah, but the restore/maximize button on windows is used to make the window fit the screen fully, and then restore to the previous size. I know it doesnt really make sense for the zoom button to be used either. Right now the only way to go 'fullscreen' is to do it yourself. Doubleclicking the titlebar will make it stretch to the sides.... but not to the top/bottom.

Chris

starman · Oct 16, 2003, 03:25 PM

Win98 is sh*t. Just because people use it doesn't mean it's GOOD. If everyone drove a Yugo, would that make it good?

We have to support 98, ME, NT, 2K, XP, but MY machine, the one I build with, check email with, etc. runs Windows XP. Any developer can run one OS and develop for another. That's why they make removable drives. I have 7 drives on my desk.

Mike

- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:28 PM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
Yeah, but the restore/maximize button on windows is used to make the window fit the screen fully, and then restore to the previous size. I know it doesnt really make sense for the zoom button to be used either. Right now the only way to go 'fullscreen' is to do it yourself. Doubleclicking the titlebar will make it stretch to the sides.... but not to the top/bottom.

Option-clicking it doesn't work either?

I thought the icon changed from restore when in full mode to a "Full-screen" icon when not, isn't this still true in XP?

thunderous_funker · Oct 16, 2003, 03:31 PM

AFAIK, win98 is officially EOL as of the end of this year. Apple was very very smart to not even bother with it.

Join the 21st century, people.

xi_hyperon · Oct 16, 2003, 03:37 PM

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
Spot the feature: Error-correction when importing music CDs.

Dragging store-links out of iTunes

Hey!! You turned off my visualizer!!

marusin · Oct 16, 2003, 03:38 PM

So far I'm loving it.. Now I have my iTunes at work.. My friend here is streaming from my library and all is well.. One thing I noticed that is missing though is any proxy settings for iTunes? Anyone know where I can set that up? The network here makes you go thru a proxy out to the internet...

Scotttheking · Oct 16, 2003, 03:41 PM

Originally posted by starman:
Win98 is sh*t. Just because people use it doesn't mean it's GOOD. If everyone drove a Yugo, would that make it good?

We have to support 98, ME, NT, 2K, XP, but MY machine, the one I build with, check email with, etc. runs Windows XP. Any developer can run one OS and develop for another. That's why they make removable drives. I have 7 drives on my desk.

Mike

Our dos development environment and 2k / XP hate each other.
My desktop is win2k.
Laptop is 98.

I'm perfectly willing to switch to pure 2k. Please send the $30 million check to me so that I can get the development environment rewritten to work right in win2k.

bewebste · Oct 16, 2003, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by benb:
Heh. I wonder how many Mac users will switch from Coke to Pepsi for free songs...

100 Million songs! Holy crap that is a lot of winners!

Holy crap.

Keep in mind that just because they're putting out 100 million prizes doesn't mean that they'll have to give away that many songs. There will be a large number of people who either don't notice the contest on the bottle, notice it but don't know/care what the hell it is, or just never get around to redeeming it, so I'm guessing Apple won't actually be giving away nearly that many songs.

starman · Oct 16, 2003, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Our dos development environment and 2k / XP hate each other.
My desktop is win2k.
Laptop is 98.

I'm perfectly willing to switch to pure 2k. Please send the $30 million check to me so that I can get the development environment rewritten to work right in win2k.

Christ, what development environment are you using?

We have SoftICE, InstallShield 9, Drive Access, Exceed, ClearCase, Visual Studio .NET, batch files, Perl, Apache (for docs), SourceSafe, DbgView, and a host of other things and we work fine.

Mike

xi_hyperon · Oct 16, 2003, 03:49 PM

So far iTunes for Windows is working great for me too. It found my music on my PB 17" - pretty amazing.

The only issue I have is when I start iTunes (Windows) I get the following message:

"The iTunes service for imprting and burning CDs and DVDs has not been started. Please restart the service to enable burning and importing."

I don't have a CD burner attached to my PC, which is where the problem lies I assume. Is there a way to avoid seeing this warning every time I launch iTunes?

starman · Oct 16, 2003, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by xi_hyperon:
So far iTunes for Windows is working great for me too. It found my music on my PB 17" - pretty amazing.

The only issue I have is when I start iTunes (Windows) I get the following message:

"The iTunes service for imprting and burning CDs and DVDs has not been started. Please restart the service to enable burning and importing."

I don't have a CD burner attached to my PC, which is where the problem lies I assume. Is there a way to avoid seeing this warning every time I launch iTunes?

Did you reboot? Sounds like a startup service didn't start.

Mike

vmpaul · Oct 16, 2003, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
HELL FROZE OVER

Wow. Thanks for the picts. That's very strange seeing Mac software on a PC.

It's kinda like coming across Santa Claus in Hell. Hey, what are YOU doing here?

Anyways, doesn't look like they made very many compromises. Job well done Apple.

AB^2=BCxAC · Oct 16, 2003, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Please send the $30 million check to me so that I can get the development environment rewritten to work right in win2k.

I was wrong? It is the cost and time involved in upgrading the dev software that keeps your office stuck in Win 98, like thousands of other businesses, who have to face that nothing really lasts forever in the tech world. Seriously, whining about availiblity for Win 98 is about the wierdest thing I ever heard on a Mac forum FROM A MODERATOR. It's usually the other way around.

Scotttheking · Oct 16, 2003, 03:54 PM

Originally posted by starman:
Christ, what development environment are you using?

We have SoftICE, InstallShield 9, Drive Access, Exceed, ClearCase, Visual Studio .NET, batch files, Perl, Apache (for docs), SourceSafe, DbgView, and a host of other things and we work fine.

Mike

It's custom.
Windows side is in vb6 and Vc++, which I'm sure most people know also has a nice bug with 2k/xp. And no, we aren't switching development environments in the middle of product development.

benb · Oct 16, 2003, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
I was wrong? It is the cost and time involved in upgrading the dev software that keeps your office stuck in Win 98, like thousands of other businesses, who have to face that nothing really lasts forever in the tech world. Seriously, whining about availiblity for Win 98 is about the wierdest thing I ever heard on a Mac forum FROM A MODERATOR. It's usually the other way around.

Scott tends to be a little whiney.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 16, 2003, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
It's custom.
Windows side is in vb6 and Vc++, which I'm sure most people know also has a nice bug with 2k/xp. And no, we aren't switching development environments in the middle of product development.

So instead of yelling at your company for making a bad decision you yell at Apple?

starman · Oct 16, 2003, 04:03 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
It's custom.
Windows side is in vb6 and Vc++, which I'm sure most people know also has a nice bug with 2k/xp. And no, we aren't switching development environments in the middle of product development.

VB6 and VC++ is "custom"?

Mike

jbartone · Oct 16, 2003, 04:07 PM

offtopic:

LOL, look at the Apple screenshot, in the system tray.

You can just see the Automatic Windows update symbol. Someone forgot to update their Windows!

Hotfix(s): 78 Hotfix(s) Installed.

Thats for my XP Pro box

Scotttheking · Oct 16, 2003, 04:07 PM

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
I was wrong? It is the cost and time involved in upgrading the dev software that keeps your office stuck in Win 98, like thousands of other businesses, who have to face that nothing really lasts forever in the tech world. Seriously, whining about availiblity for Win 98 is about the wierdest thing I ever heard on a Mac forum FROM A MODERATOR. It's usually the other way around.

Yup, you were wrong.
My laptop will still be running win98

And no one said my office is stuck in win98.
Geeze.

starman, I meant the dos side is custom.

AB^2=BCxAC · Oct 16, 2003, 04:12 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Yup, you were wrong.
My laptop will still be running win98
And no one said my office is stuck in win98.
Geeze.

OK, fine. I'll let it go. I still think yammering for 98 support was/is lame, though.

xi_hyperon · Oct 16, 2003, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by starman:
Did you reboot? Sounds like a startup service didn't start.

Mike

Yeah, I rebooted. Looks like I have to boot again in a moment. Windows Update is downloading a bunch of security patches as I write.

Perhaps after the next reboot, the warning will be gone.

Lew · Oct 16, 2003, 04:34 PM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
Yeah, but the restore/maximize button on windows is used to make the window fit the screen fully, and then restore to the previous size. I know it doesnt really make sense for the zoom button to be used either. Right now the only way to go 'fullscreen' is to do it yourself. Doubleclicking the titlebar will make it stretch to the sides.... but not to the top/bottom.

Chris

Notice though that it doesn't at any point display the 'Maximise' icon on the button. I'm sure users will get used to the behaviour, after all we did, didn't we?

passmaster16 · Oct 16, 2003, 04:42 PM

I was reading through some of the posts on the ars forum and some of their posters brought up a good point. Not only does Apple have the aac format available to the big windows userbase, but they also have quicktime because quicktime is required for iTunes to work. So they may use that as a way to keep the quicktime format competitive with windows media and real media. I am interested to see how the aac format will compete with wm9 on the windows platform.

tooki · Oct 16, 2003, 07:43 PM

Originally posted by kmkkid:
CPU while playing a song without the vis is 2-3%, with the vis on it's largest mode 56%.

You do realize that without stating the specs of the machine in question, those numbers are completely 100% meaningless?

tooki

Gul Banana · Oct 17, 2003, 02:54 AM

Yeah but he might only be using, say, a G4 500 - and 100% meaningless on that is only about 20% meaningless on a dual G5/2000.

ryaxnb · Oct 17, 2003, 03:20 AM

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
Seeing that screenshot reminds me of one major flaw of iTunes using it's own custom interface: Non-antialiased edges

All windows programs have non-antialiased edges.

MacPino · Oct 18, 2003, 09:57 AM

starman,

what kind of dock-on-windows thingie are you running on that screenshot (right edge)? It's not the real thing, but it looks nice!