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Apple

iTunes for Windows

Among other announcements, Apple released iTunes for Windows.

I’ve given it a bit of a test drive too see how it is. Despite Steve Jobs claim that it’s the “whole thing”, IMHO it’s not as good as the Mac version:

  1. Visualizer is lame compared to the diversity in the Mac version.
  2. iPodService.exe service hanging around sucking up memory, and occasionally attacking my CPU.
  3. Awkward feel. Works perfect in Aqua, but something isn’t right on Windows.
  4. Didn’t find drivers “for importing and burning CDs and DVDs”.
  5. I would think a P4M 1.8GHz would convert a file to an MP3 much faster than a 450MHz G4. But it doesn’t feel that much faster since the last time I did it on a G4. Not scientific. But by feel, it’s slower.

On the plus side, best equalizer (usability + configurability) in a free player for windows. And overall Apple goodness.

Good first shot. But give up the Aqua look. It just feels funny. Apple’s about usability. Make it feel better.

I still prefer the Mac version, though I must admit, I still prefer my Mac.

16 replies on “iTunes for Windows”

Did you restart your computer after the install? ITunes CD burning won’t work until you do.

itunes is the worst player ever imho, because it is designed as if the user is dumb. For dumb user it may be that the best music player is itunes, but even windows media player does a better job than itunes. It is just so lame. But Apple did a good job on windows, cause compared to its mac version windows version is so faster. Maybe it is because it is running on a windows machine which is almost always faster.

How to stop the iPodservice.exe

Go to your control panel > Administrative Tools > Open Services > Find iPodService.exe and right click on it. Stop the service and set it from Auto or manual whichever its on to Disabled. This will keep it from starting and attacking CPUs and killing god or whatever it does.

What iTunes really lacks, in my opinion, is the ability to move/change the layout properly. Ideally, removing the Genre bar, and placing the Artists list on the left would be possible, but alas its not.

Yeah it is Davey, uncheck the ‘Show Genre when browsing box in ‘Preferences/General’.

Si.

why the hate? you guys seem not to know _anything_ about macintosh computers. never heard they are slower than PCs. i am using i-tunes on windows XP and it beats winamp by far.

Rob,

Just a quick update comment on iTunes 4.5.

nice Blog, very “Mac”
re the List of areas for improvement.
I agree with all but item 4. My install went smoothly on my IBM Thinkpad T30.

thanks to Jason Z for the ipodservice.exe reminder, simply putting it in manual didn’t help but disabling sounds like a nice idea. I’m testing the theory today.

I have to concur with your comments regarding performance on the G4 ( I have the twin 450), but since I installed a newer Fire Wire based 52 x CD Drive (LaCie D-2 Pioneer A-04) and 10.3 the import speed is much improved.

I bought the

Not sure if its the kernel related IO evaolution or just better drivers for the Firewire.

Any how as I’m a schizophrenic Mac / PC / Linux user “who cares” as long as it works !

regards

Thanks a lot, Jason, I always wondered how to stop Ipodservice.exe. It’s stupid that iTunes starts it without asking if you actually HAVE an iPod! I sure don’t–what a waste of money! By the way, only the newer Macs run any faster than Windows, and it’s not worth paying 3k for a Mac, when in a couple years, you’ll be able to buy a better computer for $500. My philosophy is: get the cheapest computer you can, and you’ll feel like you’ve wasted less money in a few years! I have a Dell laptop that I got a couple months old for $600 that is perfectly capable, and about a 5th of the money of the average mac. It has a 20GB hard disk, 384MB ram, 2Ghz, 14″screen, DVD-rom, and XP Pro. Sorry, but it’s not for sale!

The burning part of ITunes never worked with me. Not after restarting, not after reinstalling- nothing.

Even though I set ipodservice.exe to manual- it still starts whenever Itunes does. It’s a terrible memory hog.

I also don’t like a few other things about the way it’s set up, and in my opinion, it isn’t worth the trouble of getting it working right.

Nero to burn, winamp is a better program in my opinion than this- I know my friends who use Macs love it, and I like how it works for them- but for the PC, it doesn’t work right.

Most disturbing disadvantage of iTunes compared to WinAmp or Windows Media Player is that it has problem playing multiple-selected files from window explorer directly.

hello, I have a little problem… my itunes doesn’t work when I start the program, (I see in Win. Task Manager) olny open in W.T.M. for few seconds … then the program is shut down… how can I up music to my Ipod ???
please I beg you… looking for some help, answer to chong_d01@yahoo.com for any help πŸ˜₯ πŸ˜₯ πŸ˜₯

sorry for my english 😳

Disabling the service stops it for that session but it restarts itself even when disabled. It does it either when itunes starts or when windows reboots, not sure but it still starts itself even when disabled. πŸ™

How to shut off the ipodservice.exe leech:

1) How is it that MS allows a service set to “disabled” to be reenabled and started??? I say this is a security problem, and MS sucks.
2) How is it that Apple will ignore a user’s wish that something be disabled and then start it up? Apple sucks.

Goto c:\program files\ipod\bin. Rename ipodservice.exe to ipodservice.exex or something else. It will never bother you again.

Adding to Joe7Pak, you have to make a blank text file, then rename it to iPodService.exe (make sure that in Folder Options you can view all extensions).
If you don’t do this, iTunes (at least version 7) will attempt to reinstall the iPodService. Using a blank text file with that name, iTunes assumes the service is installed.

iTune is great player when used with iPod especially for download podcast etc… If u don’t have or not using with iPod, then there are two programs; iPodService.exe & iTuneHelper.exe running as a background process, which can be disabled to free some precious RAM/Memory.

iPodService.exe is simply a hardware ( iPod devices) detection & maintainace program. To disable this, (XP) Type “services.msc” in Run Command. Find iPodServices and disable it.

iTunesHelper.exe is supposed to speeds up iTunes when it starts, and also monitor for connected iPod devices. To disable this, (XP) Type “msconfig” in Run Command. Find iTunesHelper.exe in Startup Tab, Uncheck it.

πŸ˜†

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