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philm · Jul 2, 2007, 08:37 AM

Something I don't like about iTunes is that when I select an album using the column view method in browse mode, I only get to see the tracks on that specific album, but when I select an album in Cover Flow, I simply jump to the tracks from that album on the big long list of all tracks.

In a practical sense, this means that I select an album using column view and get it playing, I hear that album and then it stops. If I use Cover Flow, I hear that album plus whatever happens to be next alphabetically. To my mind, the column view method is the correct one and the Cover Flow approach is wrong.

Unless of course, there is something I don't understand or an option which I can invoke....

D'Espice · Jul 4, 2007, 02:48 AM

The 'column view' is a filter. Cover flow isn't, it's just a way of displaying the cover on top of the list instead of on the left. Big diff

NobleMatt · Jul 4, 2007, 04:15 AM

yer the guy above is right, i use to be a WMP boy but had to change to itunes when i got mac, i always just to use Select Artist > Select Album > Play album method so so started with list of artists, selected the one i wanted, selected album from there albums, and played it. but now i like itunes and i dont use column at all, how funny.

thing that is now bugging me is the sudden change in character order, once upon a time u use to have bands like + 44, 65 Days of Static and 30 Seconds to Mars at the top alphbeticaly before A, thats how its always been. but with the latest update that now changes, you find them after Y, why the change, whats the point what do they gain. Also another one is bands like A Perfect Circle use to fall under A they now fall under P (for perfect) how wierd, i cant see why they changed it, everyone was use to the standard.

Matt

philm · Jul 4, 2007, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by D'Espice

The 'column view' is a filter. Cover flow isn't, it's just a way of displaying the cover on top of the list instead of on the left. Big diff

Well, I reckon Cover Flow should be a filter. The obvious analogy is you are seeing a bunch of CDs on a shelf and you want to choose one. Just that one - not all the stuff which happens to follow on automatically. Maybe I'm just too old at 38.

D'Espice · Jul 4, 2007, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by philm

Maybe I'm just too old at 38.

Or maybe you should see cover flow for what it is - namely a useless piece of junk, a waste of valuable memory, etc. I admit that it does have a very nice "oooooooooooh, shiny!" effect but after about two days I stopped using it. All it does it so simply put the cover on top of the list rather than to its left. That's really all there is, add the ability to click and you've got cover flow.

If you want to select something manually you have to use the column view or the search. If you want shiny-oh-how-nice-this-looks-like-a-jukebox, go with cover flow

Atheist · Jul 4, 2007, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by D'Espice

Or maybe you should see cover flow for what it is - namely a useless piece of junk, a waste of valuable memory, etc.

I respect your desire not to use Cover Flow however your characterization as useless is a little dramatic. I personally find Cover Flow to be a very useful feature. Prior to the integration with iTunes, I used the standalone Cover Flow app in full screen mode on my second monitor. The ability to scroll through my albums is enhanced significantly by seeing the album covers. I don't know about all humans, but I can recognize the albums by sight much faster than by reading a list of album/artist names. Bear in mind, I usually don't play music with a certain album in mind. I enjoy scrolling through my assortment of music and wait for something to pique my interest. Can't wait for a full screen iPod with Cover Flow!

zro · Jul 5, 2007, 02:50 AM

I don't use it. I don't select what I want to listen to by album first. I go by artist. I sort my library by artist, when I start typing it's an artist's name... So if there's an "Artist Flow" out there I might find that useful.

What I find invaluable is using the store links to filter the library (Option-click). So much so I used the CLI command to permanently alter their behavior.

philm · Jul 5, 2007, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by zro

What I find invaluable is using the store links to filter the library (Option-click). So much so I used the CLI command to permanently alter their behavior.

Could you expand on this a bit? I don't find option-clicking anywhere in the iTunes window does anything of significance. 'Store links'? Thanks.

zro · Jul 5, 2007, 10:29 AM

When you have an item selected in your list of songs in any given playlist there may appear (if not disabled in preferences) three little circles with arrows in them, one each at the right edge of the track name, artist, and album columns. Click any of them and iTunes sends a search to the iTunes store for that column with that title. Option click and iTunes will filter your music library.

Really it just does the same thing you can do with the "album" section of the browser, but you can do it from where ever you are in the source list.

philm · Jul 5, 2007, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by zro

When you have an item selected in your list of songs in any given playlist there may appear (if not disabled in preferences) three little circles with arrows in them, one each at the right edge of the track name, artist, and album columns. Click any of them and iTunes sends a search to the iTunes store for that column with that title. Option click and iTunes will filter your music library.

Really it just does the same thing you can do with the "album" section of the browser, but you can do it from where ever you are in the source list.

I like it. Thanks.