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Apple sucks ass!

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:33 pm
by petal
I know this is not very constructive, but I just said yes to updating quicktime and suddenly all my soundliles were "Applelized"

That is just a rotten way of making business.

I hope that in the event of Creamware going belly up that they will release the source code for Scope so we can get a decent audio platform for Linux and get rid of sleezy marketing values and behavior once and for all.

Merry Christmas!
Thomas

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:47 pm
by valis
You mean quicktime took over the file association? On WIndoze or Mac?

Even worse

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:22 am
by Liquid Len
To really trash a computer's audio functionality, you must install RealPlayer

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:30 am
by petal
I'm not sure what exactly happened, all I experienced was that files that used to open without a problem, suddenly just didn't open anymore. I didn't need more than that to make my decission of unistalling all mac-soft from my pc-laptop.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:19 am
by astroman
I basically agree with your bottomline regarding Apple's 'attitude' - it's as annoying as their constant pleading to activate an iTunes account when you happen to install that piece of software - if I remember right Braincell complained about this once.
Unfortunately iTunes has excellent audio snippets from tons of records, so it's in fact pretty useful to check something out or compare different releases.
I don't think it's a problem to reset the audio file association of the OS, but I understand your wipe-it-out attitude as well ;)

cheers, Tom

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:34 pm
by valis
Actually I find it annoying that apple hides the 'standalone' quicktime a bit more on their site, making you think you need to install iTunes just to get quicktime. (And don't get me started on Apple's about face on the DRM issue in the space of 5 mere years :P ).

To those who would rather go another way, try Quicktime Alternative & Real Alternative, both available individually or as part of the K-Lite codec packs:
http://www.codecguide.com/

It will essentially install quicktime & real and make the codecs available from any media player of your choice. The typical K-lite pack also will 'recommend' reassociation quicktime & Real files (and many others) with Media Player 6.4, but you don't have to choose this step.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:22 pm
by King of Snake
i've never had any problems with quicktime on the pc. I believe most (commercial) mediaplayer software will at some point during it's installation try to change to media file association to that particular program. You just gotta watch out for it if you want to use your app of choice and even if it does change it, it easy to change back.

Now iTunes I wouldn't put on my pc if you paid me for it. It works nice on a mac, but on a pc you're much better off with winamp. (for instance, iTunes uses about 4 times as much memory just running idle).
Don't even get me started on the whole iTunes/iPod/iTunes Store vendor lock in thing and the DRM madness. But that's another story altogether :)

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 4:51 pm
by valis
VLC is indeed excellent, I use it for many non-windows specific codecs (xvid/divx etc). I have found that iso style formats (vcd etc) work best on windows in Media Player with lower spec pc's (compared to vlc/winamp etc), and avi wrapped files do too, but the difference is marginal and only noticeable on my ancient laptop.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:11 pm
by hubird
I have WMP and Real player on my mac, and iTunes on my pc :-)
no problems on both systems, tho I admit I use the latter only as a radio player :-)
Great solutions you guys smash on the table here, real nerds you are :-D

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 1:12 am
by arela
iTunes sucks :evil:
It forced my pc to make a playlist, i didn't want no playlist, so i deletet it, and with it about 2 Gb mp3 files

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 4:42 am
by astroman
iTunes doesn't install anything unquestioned, unless you do an 'ok-click-continue' without reading the screen ;)
it's focussed on their cash cow target group and it does this job pretty well, but nevertheless it's smart piece of software. Maybe a bit too smart (as I dunno what it's background task is)... but I didn't noticer any complaints regarding spyware yet.

cheers, Tom
(of course they are in the same league meanwhile...) ;)

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:57 am
by H-Rave
To change back to windows media you do right click on one of your wave files.choose properties then change ,and change it back to windows media player.

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:30 pm
by astroman
stardust wrote:...So you say it is all for the sake of the Dummy user's (DAU) comfort and ease of use.
:D
let's see - I got 'For the Stars' by Anne Sofie von Otter & Elvis Costello as a xmas present - if it really lives up to the iTunes preview's prospect :D
this was by far the most tasteful and elaborate production that came to my ears for a long time - found by iTunes, bought in the local shop :P

cheers, Tom
(no matter if you like the songs - imho it's a milestone as quality reference)

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:56 pm
by garyb
stardust wrote:Meanwhile I believe M$ and Apple are in the same league.

I did not notice these recent patronizing of apple since i consequently ignore i-tunes and the like.
aac and mp3 is fine for me.

I am looking forward to the mind control (and media control) of the next generation ...
well, both companies are owned by bill gates......

as to mind control, put some earbuds in your head and turn it up.....

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:07 am
by wolf
now I'll tell you what really sucks:
my girl-friend got as present an ipod shuffle from me (I got it for free, so don't start to discuss, why I bought it ;-)).
Today I installed iTunes on WinXP (went fine), but I had only a v1.1 USB port free .. I attached the shuffle to that port. Because WinXP constantly insisted, that I wil get more power (?), when using a v2.0 usb port I reordered all usb connections (forgetting that this will bring me into trouble on XP).
Guess what ? My TV-stick stopped working (even in the port it was before), the printer was out of order, the iPod was recognized as 'unknown device' and I even wasn't able to install a "better" driver for it .. let alone the usb audio interface. f**k !
I expect that this s**t just works, nothing else .. seems I'm spoiled by using OSX. I never thought that I'd prefer a mac- especially as an old-time Windows user, but it simply sucks big time to have to install a driver everytime you change the usb port and to readjust the settings of each app.

ok, sorry for the language but I just had to spit out my frustration about having spent at least 2hrs in anger (which definitely happens far more with WinXP than with OSX).
garyb wrote:well, both companies are owned by bill gates......
good joke ;)

cheers
Wolfgang

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:30 am
by garyb
:)

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:32 pm
by braincell
Try Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative.

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:56 am
by arela
At least wolf, you didn't pay for you ipod shuffle, i did :x

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:31 am
by astroman
I'm fu**ed with my xmas present CD choosen from the iTunes store - I mean the real physical thing you buy in a shop... :x
it sounds like sh*t on my trustworthy Philips 650 - is he at the end of his lifetime or is the copy protection driving the converter nuts ???

not amuzed, Tom

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:20 pm
by braincell
Apple is evil read this:


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... w&refer=us

By the way some people get confused when I say Apple is evil. They think I love Microsoft. I hate Microsoft but I don't need to say that because enough other people are.