Why do I find iTunes so incredibly complicated?

[Night Spring]

I just have my Music files, my Video files, my Photo's etc, in well organised folders, I click on the file I wish to view/play and the "player" I have assigned to that type of media fires up and plays it for me.

That's what I like and it feels a very clean, fresh, easy and open way of doing things.

I do agree with that, and that's what I do with my media files. But this in no way conflicts with using iTunes to sync with my iDevices. iTunes doesnt get in the way of how I organize my media files, and when I want to sync media to my iDecixes, I just drag them into iTunes, and from there, they sync to my devices. And I love smart playlists in iTunes, they really help further subdivide my media into various groupings that *I* fully control.

 

[HiRez]

I like iTunes OK, but I started using the first version so it's been easy to keep up with the additions over the years. But looking at it from the perspective of a new user, yeah, I can see how it's less than intuitive and maybe intimidating. It's an app that's become extremely bloated and now does way more than it was originally designed to do.

Personally I love having it manage the music for me, I haven't worried about what "folder" my music is in for nearly a decade, I'll never understand why people are so stuck on wanting to manually manage their music when the computer can do it much easier. The key to the whole thing is to keep your tags complete and accurate. A lot of people don't bother with this and without good tagging iTunes isn't using all of its power.

 

[rawlus]

Using directory folders works okay when not much media is involved. When you get a few thousand files it becomes more important to organize by something other than file name. Browsing by genre, artist, album,defining playlists and such are an improvement over a bunch of stuff in a folder for me.

 

[Sydde]

You might want to investigate PhoneDisk. It let's you mount you device as a volume, like older iPods did normally. In my experience, with an iPod touch, you can get at some things but not others. Of course, it may have improved, or the iPad may have become tighter. And, then, many apps record what they have in database files, so if you can find the target folders, just moving the files may not work.

The 30 pin connector has got to go. It's from 2001 for God's sake.

No, it is from '03. The first iPods, fall '01 to spring '03 had a 6 pin (FireWire) connector.

 

[Carouser]

(1) iTunes > Help > iTunes Help > Add Music, video, and more > Import items already on your computer

(2) iTunes > File > Add Folder To Library

I'm surprised you weren't able to find those things.

If your media is already organized in folders then you will have no trouble with this.

There is a difference between 'iTunes is incredibly complicated' and 'I want iTunes to work the way I think it should, not the way it does'.

If you treat your iPad like an external hard drive you want to drag and drop files to, from folders you manage yourself, then iTunes will seem like a complicating intermediary. If you stop doing that and manage your media from iTunes directly then it will work fine. It is no more controlled nor open than any other method, since for your purposes they are clearly simply different GUIs. If you want to play with your folders AND fiddle with iTunes it will be a mess. iTunes manages folders far better and faster than doing it manually. Nothing is closed off or controlled, you should disabuse yourself of this notion and stop suggesting it to others.

 

[hayesk]

I agree iTunes can be made easier, but it sounds to me like the OP is afraid to explore the app. Look in the preferences, and settings. Plug your iPad in and go looking in the settings for it. It's not hard and your answers are there.

I don't mean this to start an OS flamewar, but in my experience, I found that Windows users, on average, seem to be more "afraid" to explore their apps than Mac users. Maybe this explains why the OP is having trouble. I learned to use all of these features in iTunes from simply exploring all of the preferences and settings. They're not hard to find either, they're either in the Preferences, or by clicking on the iPad when it is plugged in and look at the tabs for each media type.

 

[hayesk]

The 30 pin connector has got to go. Its from 2001 for God's sake.

Why? It works and it isn't holding back anything. USB or Firewire doesn't provide the connectivity options like analog audio, video, etc.

 

[Bartman01]

iTunes is a sub-par media organizer that you are forced to live with if you have i-devices, but I don't know if I would call it 'complicated' though. Even though my main systems are all OSx, I am forced to live with the even worse Windows version of it so I can keep it in sync with my REAL media organizer - J River Media Center.

 

[anjinha]

On the iPad you mean?

On this issue............

Am I right in thinking (as I've experienced) if you copy say 10 Podcasts to the iPad, listen to 3 of them, and then go back you will find those 3 will have disappeared from your iPad without you selecting to do anything?

If this is the case. That's bloody stupid isn't it?
Is there a way of stopping this from happening, or has it been decreed that you should only wish to listen to a podcast once?

Have you tried playing with its settings? Just go to the Podcasts tab. If you want to manage all of your podcasts manually just unselect the option to "Automatically include..." option.

Then you can just click on each podcast and select the podcasts you want to sync.

If you want to let iTunes do its magic you can select the option to "Automatically include..." and there's a bunch of options like "All", "All new", "All unplayed", etc.

If you manually select which podcasts to sync they will stay on your iPad until you decide to delete them. If you have an option to sync "all unplayed" or "5 most recent unplayed" they will only stay on your iPad until you play them.

It's really not hard, you just need to look at the options. You can absolutely sync everything manually if that's what you want but I recommend that you actually look at the options and see what works for you.

 

[Piggie]

Thanks to all for the suggestions, I shall review all you have said.

The fact that iTunes simply does not recognise a bunch of format's kind of kills it for me anyway also.

I install the extra Codec's in windows so that I can see/hear/view files of a variety of types, and I would expect iTunes to see the same files.

But the fact (Unless I'm wrong) iTunes just will not recognise any formats other than the very basics kind of kills it for me, before I even get started considering it as any media centre type of package.

So it's not a good start as it feel crippled before I begin.

I point it at a WMV file or a MKV file and nothing, not a peep from iTunes.
Now, I can accept, well I can't really, but due to CPU power, I can "Understand" it may not wish me to transfer a MKV file onto my iOS device, but it won't even see the file and allow me to play the file back on my desktop machine.

I don't understand that.

 

[iVeBeenDrinkin']

Sometimes, things are so easy, they're hard.

 

[rovex]

What I do find complicated is how do you get the highest bit rate for songs in the store?

 

[Piggie]

Sometimes, things are so easy, they're hard.

The only thing I've let iTunes see fully is my Music Library.
The majority of which did not have tags, so it was a total mess, as iTunes is hopeless without correct tags.

I spend about 2 weeks going through music files, and, when I can be bothered still have a good 2 weeks more of manual editing.

I also had to re-code some albums back into MP3 format as iTunes can only see MP3 files

As for my Photo Gallary, well, there is no point as many of my photo's are in RAW format, and it's not going to even want to know about those.

Also there is no point in even attempting to point it as my video/movie collection as almost nothing is in a video format iTunes will see either.

 

[Carouser]

I point it at a WMV file or a MKV file and nothing, not a peep from iTunes.
Now, I can accept, well I can't really, but due to CPU power, I can "Understand" it may not wish me to transfer a MKV file onto my iOS device, but it won't even see the file and allow me to play the file back on my desktop machine.

I don't understand that.

All content on your computer, from a .txt to a .bmp to a .pdf to a .mkv are media, by definition. It is unreasonable to expect iTunes to be a media center if by 'media center' you mean something which can play all media, since it would have to play every possible file. It is unreasonable, even, to expect something like iTunes to play all files which are for audio and video. Every program will have formats it cannot handle.

iTunes is clear about which formats it handles. Use iTunes to manage these formats. Use another appropriate program for other formats. Easy. Done.

 

[iVeBeenDrinkin']

The only thing I've let iTunes see fully is my Music Library.
The majority of which did not have tags, so it was a total mess, as iTunes is hopeless without correct tags.

I spend about 2 weeks going through music files, and, when I can be bothered still have a good 2 weeks more of manual editing.

I also had to re-code some albums back into MP3 format as iTunes can only see MP3 files

As for my Photo Gallary, well, there is no point as many of my photo's are in RAW format, and it's not going to even want to know about those.

Also there is no point in even attempting to point it as my video/movie collection as almost nothing is in a video format iTunes will see either.

Not having tags, is an issue. However, iTunes can also help you fix your tags, there is great software out there that can help you with tags. Or, maybe you can use another media player to tag your files then import them into iTunes.

Please don't take this as being rude, but if you're not willing, or wanting to tag your media, it does make it hard for your i devices.

 

[vrDrew]

The fact that iTunes simply does not recognise a bunch of format's kind of kills it for me anyway also..

I heard about this place called France. When I got there, all the people were talking in this strange gabble I couldn't understand, so the whole place is worthless as far as I'm concerned.

Makes sense, right?

Tomorrow I'm going to have a ten minute phone conversation with my (seventy something) mother, and talk her through the process of installing an epub format copy of Anna of The Five Towns on her iPad. (A title that isn't available on the Apple bookstore.)

I look at it this way: iTunes has allowed my relatively computer-averse mother to do 99% of the things she wants to do on her own. It does all this is a way that makes it relatively hard for things to get badly messed up. And without much assistance from me, or the people at the Apple store.

Does iTunes make it slightly more complicated to add a file to a library? Yes, but ONLY IF you are trying to add that file from outside the Apple-designated universe of content. Not impossible, mind you.

Engineering, like life itself, is about managing compromises. iTunes makes managing a very wide variety of digital content vastly easier, safer, and more reliably than trying to do the same thing manually.

 

[Irishman]

I guess all I'm looking for is like 5 folders

Movies
Books
Music
Podcasts
Pictures

I then connect my iPad, and either drop new things in, which get added to my iPad or delete things out which get removed from my iPad.

That seems so simple. I just don't understand how something so simple can get turned into something so complicated.

Perhaps, as I said above, it's because iTunes is trying to be a all encompassing entertainment and data control package.

It's a pity that the iPad sync software was not something totally separate to iTunes.
Also I think it's that Apple see the iPad not as a separate stand alone device, but just something for you to take your iTunes "media" with you on the move.

To me, I don't use iTunes, I don't want to use iTune for any "Media" it's just a means to get stuff on and off the iPad and it's too much for just that.

Yup, you've bought mittens but are wanting them to be gloves.

 

[Piggie]

All content on your computer, from a .txt to a .bmp to a .pdf to a .mkv are media, by definition. It is unreasonable to expect iTunes to be a media center if by 'media center' you mean something which can play all media, since it would have to play every possible file. It is unreasonable, even, to expect something like iTunes to play all files which are for audio and video. Every program will have formats it cannot handle.

iTunes is clear about which formats it handles. Use iTunes to manage these formats. Use another appropriate program for other formats. Easy. Done.

Well, you see this is where I have to disagree. In the nicest possible way

The whole point of a media centre package that is going to handle your media is that is can read, display,understand the types of media it's designed to. Let's just say in this case, music and video.

Now, perhaps as it comes it won't be able to play all formats, likewise windows media player can only play the formats it comes supplied with by default. Then you as a user download the codecs needed to add the functionality in you want.

Then windows media player will play back mkv video files or flac music files.

You see, for me, Apple saying we have written this software and this is the only format it will ever understand, and you cannot expand it's abilities seems just crazy.

So, as I don't know how this works, what do mac users do then?
They use iTunes for video that iTunes can understand and have to use other more flexible software to play back all other formats?

Does that not sound crazy to you to have to do that?
It does to me.
Why should iTunes not be able to handle all the formats?

I'm puzzled how this can be seen as a good way to work?

 

[Irishman]

I do agree with that, and that's what I do with my media files. But this in no way conflicts with using iTunes to sync with my iDevices. iTunes doesnt get in the way of how I organize my media files, and when I want to sync media to my iDecixes, I just drag them into iTunes, and from there, they sync to my devices. And I love smart playlists in iTunes, they really help further subdivide my media into various groupings that *I* fully control.

Well, to be fair, iTunes on a Mac is a far better experience than iTunes on a PC.

iTunes is "an all-encompassing entertainment and data control package", as you said. That's its job. If you don't like the way iTunes works, iDevices such as your iPad will end up frustrating you to no end.

When you're dealing with iTunes (or any syncing software that I've heard of), you don't "fully control" any of it.

 

[Irishman]

Well, you see this is where I have to disagree. In the nicest possible way

The whole point of a media centre package that is going to handle your media is that is can read, display,understand the types of media it's designed to. Let's just say in this case, music and video.

Now, perhaps as it comes it won't be able to play all formats, likewise windows media player can only play the formats it comes supplied with by default. Then you as a user download the codecs needed to add the functionality in you want.

Then windows media player will play back mkv video files or flac music files.

You see, for me, Apple saying we have written this software and this is the only format it will ever understand, and you cannot expand it's abilities seems just crazy.

So, as I don't know how this works, what do mac users do then?
They use iTunes for video that iTunes can understand and have to use other more flexible software to play back all other formats?

Does that not sound crazy to you to have to do that?
It does to me.
Why should iTunes not be able to handle all the formats?

I'm puzzled how this can be seen as a good way to work?

What formats do you need to be able to play that you can't on iTunes/Quicktime?

 

[porcupine8]

This is my first time using anything iOS or syncing anything other than a shuffle (and even that I only got for Christmas), and yes, I find the whole iTunes song and dance to be unnecessarily complicated. Like you, I would far prefer the iPad to have a normal filesystem and to drag-and-drop files as though it were a hard drive. I assume that I'll get used to it, but I was just discussing with my husband that the learning curve seems high - I first have to figure out what types of files I want to handle on my iPad, then decide which app(s) I want to use for those files, and finally work out the details of syncing each of those apps. I'm not even sure yet what happens if I want to be able to open one file with two different apps.

 

[jaimeastin]

Complicated, ccan be because it is silly and just sucks...

iTunes just sucks... Period. I hate it. I just use it to backup and restore. Other than that, I use copy trans manager. Google it. It is a drag and drop application. I have used iTunes since it's inception, and it has never improved.

Man, it just thinks it is smarter than you and that it knows best... Well, I guess it is an apple product. My last straw was that it will not use a network share as a media library. It will let u stream, but in other to sync media to your iOS device, it has to be copied to the computer. I do not want to house the same media in two different places! This was the case on my Mac as I will never install it on my pc(s). Windows media player is just better than iTunes... If apple didn't ry to control everything , their stuff would be better...

Man, I know for some it couldn't be easier, and for them apple did a good job... But, what about us who are smarter and require more power and control? When will we have a real advanced user mode? This is the same for iOS devices. I need a file management system doggone it! They can keep their current granny setup as a default, but let the advanced users get what they need. If apple did that, they would get everyone else who refuse to go their way.........

 

[jaimeastin]

All ready for a change need to check out copytrans manager. Google copytrans.

 

[iVeBeenDrinkin']

My last straw was that it will not use a network share as a media library. It will let u stream, but in other to sync media to your iOS device, it has to be copied to the computer. I do not want to house the same media in two different places!

This statement is absolutely false, it seems iTunes is smarter than you.

 

[jaimeastin]

This statement is absolutely false, it seems iTunes is smarter than you.

You are actually wrong yourself. It will see all music and play it, but because of copy protection/ drm it will not let u move that same music to your iOS device.

So, smarty pants go try it. And when u do, I won't even look for an apology