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WSKCONDOR · Sep 8, 2005, 12:10 AM

I just downloaded and installed ITunes 5 via software update. When I launched it for the first time, after restarting, it came up and said the itumes music library appeared to be "invalid", then it "recovered" about 200 songs on my hard drive (out of almost 11,000) in my library.

To put it lightly, this is annoying. Beware updating. There was no recourse after it is installed-no way to go "back". And I was just running itunes with the full library a few minutes before updating-i.e. it was just fine before 5.0

And an additional .02 is that...the very first impression of the interface is....it looks flat and kind of ugly (as mentioned in another thread). I don't "like it" just because it is new. It is just not as good looking as the last iteration. Looks like a beta version they rushed to get out the door on the day of the new ipod announcements.

Pretty unprofessional, Cupertino.

Thinine · Sep 8, 2005, 12:46 AM

You didn't mention losing your playcount, so I'm assuming you don't care about it. If so, then it's a simple matter to rebuild your library. Annoying, yes, but not terrible.

macgyvr64 · Sep 8, 2005, 12:57 AM

Odd...for me, all my Podcasts are now part of my Library. They weren't before, and I didn't do any library recovery; it just simply upgraded my library and that was that. Even podcasts that I download post iTunes 5 update still go into my library. What's with that?

PurpleGiant · Sep 8, 2005, 01:01 AM

macgyvr64: I think that's a 'feature'. On the one hand, it allows you to put Podcasts into Smart Playlists. On the other hand, it makes it frustrating for those (like me) who play the music library on shuffle to listen to *music* not podcasts too.

macgyvr64 · Sep 8, 2005, 01:03 AM

So I'm not the only one? Hmm... I really really liked the 4.9 behavior, where they stayed separate, so i could have music or podcasts. I don't want speaking in Party Shuffle ;-P

JKT · 09:09 AM

The Library is meant to be a repository for your files (the name kind of gives it away doesn't it), not a playlist. If you don't want podcasts in your playlist, create a new Smart playlist and auto-exclude them. For Party Shuffle, you can pick the playlist it sources the songs from.

Not rocket science, eh?

TETENAL · Sep 8, 2005, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by macgyvr64

I don't want speaking in Party Shuffle ;-P

Get Info on your podcasts and in the Options tab exclude them from shuffling.

WSKCONDOR · Sep 8, 2005, 01:14 PM

Playcounts are gone.
Podcasts are gone, and also the podcasts I had subscribed to are gone/not remembered. So I will have to go back and re-subscribe to all of them. Not a problem if you don't use podcasts, or if you only are interested in one or two, but if you are a power podcaster-now you have to rebuild everything.

so it is a bit more than a "slight" inconvenience. mind you, I am not saying that the actual song files were deleted, just the library and the information that was stored there.

bseely · Sep 8, 2005, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by macgyvr64

So I'm not the only one? Hmm... I really really liked the 4.9 behavior, where they stayed separate, so i could have music or podcasts. I don't want speaking in Party Shuffle ;-P

If you want to play out of your Library but don't want Podcasts, use the new searchbar to filter them out, then start playing - you can do that directly in your Library and you basically have the old behavior.

JKT · Sep 8, 2005, 03:31 PM

Btw, if you look in your Music>iTunes folder, the prior (4.9) Library is backed up. Make a copy of the backup, delete the appended date and move it back to the old location and overwrite the new one. Relaunch iTunes and see if it does a better job this time.

macgyvr64 · Sep 8, 2005, 05:22 PM

Should Podcasts be part of the main Library, though? I'm still unsure.. I had no problems upgrading the library.

Horsepoo!!! · Sep 8, 2005, 05:46 PM

Should Podcasts be part of the main Library? I'd say no. Just like Audiobooks shouldn't. Nor should videos.

But seeing as how iTunes is becoming a very confused little teenage app that has trouble finding its identity, I say '**** it'. If Apple wants to make a monster out of that app, I say 'go ahead, Apple'. I don't care anymore.

"It used to be about the music, man!" If iTunes wants to handle all these other different media types, **** it.

I'm starting to hate iTunes...a lot.

One app should exist for music...another app should exist for audiobooks...Podcasts are dumb and shouldn't exist at all (I mean, c'mon, pre-recorded radio sessions/shows because the iPod doesn't do FM? WTF?)...another app should handle video cataloguing/organizing...etc.

iTunes is now officially the jack of all trade, master of none...wow...like Windows Media Player.

zenlibra · Sep 9, 2005, 01:09 AM

My library was also "Invalid" but it appears all my songs are accounted for. I also maintained my playcounts and ratings, however, everything in my library has today as the date added. This screws up my smart playlists that I use to control what goes on my iPod mini.

bseely · Sep 9, 2005, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Horsepoo!!!

Should Podcasts be part of the main Library? I'd say no. Just like Audiobooks shouldn't. Nor should videos.

like I said above, making it look like audiobooks and podcasts aren't in your library is easy - just show the new searchbar and click Music. Done. From then on, nothing besides music (no videos, no podcasts, nothin) *shows* in your library.

Horsepoo!!! · Sep 9, 2005, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by bseely

like I said above, making it look like audiobooks and podcasts aren't in your library is easy - just show the new searchbar and click Music. Done. From then on, nothing besides music (no videos, no podcasts, nothin) *shows* in your library.

I know this...I'm talking conceptually. The app is becoming bloated. A proper name for iTunes 5 would be iMedia 1 (or Apple Media Player...ugh.)

Apple should bring back iTunes...when it was about the music.

All this new stuff...video, podcasts...I'm getting the feeling they're just using iTunes to unleash a video H.264 store on everyone. Afterall, Apple directs people to download iTunes to view movie trailers...and downloading iTunes means you're downloading QuickTime and movie trailers are on the Apple Music Store, so Apple makes people go through the music store.

What evil plot is Apple coming up with next to make iPod, AAC, and H.264 the standard?

WSKCONDOR · Sep 9, 2005, 04:17 PM

Back on the topic a bit. I think if your file looked "invalid" but then you retained everything, it means the program was able to "repair" it or recover. Mine was not. I tried doing the "trickery" with replacing the new lib with the old after changing the date, but no joy. iTunes 5.0 still felt the same way about the library and consequently could not or would not accept it.

again, I can re-do everything. I just did not know if anyone else had this, and it is another of those things that makes me cringe a little before updating software RIGHT AWAY when Apple posts it. I don't really know because I kind of dislike Microsoft-but perhaps they have just as many snafu's when they post updates and upgrades and new software before it is really ready, then let the general public be their beta testers, then post a fix later. It makes sense in an efficiency way-if you are the company-but it seems a little irresponsible in a corporate sense, as the consumer has an implied reasonable belief that the software is solid (especially when it doesn't specifically make the disclaimer of being "beta").

blah blah. Sorry, my rant. Maybe 5.0 will be great after a while.