Beautiful
Dan Savage has started a YouTube channel for teens who are gay encouraging them to hang in there and promising that their lives will get better. (Gay teens are significantly more likely to kill themselves than other teens. There’s been some press about kids being harassed and killing themselves. Even many of the kids who don’t do that can be seriously emotionally (and in some cases, physically) wounded. High school kids can be cruel.
Although I didn’t come out until way after high school, I pretty much knew that I was gay back then. At least, I knew I was way more attracted to girls than boys. The kids I happened to hang out with were great though and not the kind of folks who were harassing gay kids. There was one guy in particular who was obviously gay, but it just didn’t come up. Obviously, we could have been more supportive than just ignoring the issue, but more importantly, he was part of our gang and we loved him for who he was/is.
I am still friends with many of my high school peeps and when I came out to them, they all were incredibly supportive. I have one girlfriend from back then that doesn’t quite know how to deal with it, but she does the best she can to show me she loves and supports me (once she said “what do you call her? a girlfriend or whatever?”). She can only do what she can do – but most importantly is that she does care and love me for who I am, even if she doesn’t understand.
I do wish I could go back and come out when I was younger. I wish I could go back and change a bunch of things. But, I have to admit that my life is pretty amazing and I definitely have nothing to complain about.
This is one of the videos from the channel:
Bill Maher takes on Christine O'Donnell, anti-masturbator
Apparently he has a treasure trove of video of her previous appearances on the show and he's going to show one each week until/unless she goes on the show. It's not blackmail - it's HBO!
This Is Not A Road
This may look like a rural gravel road, but it's not. It's the surface of a Louisiana waterway covered with hundreds of thousands of dead fish, crabs, eels and stingrays — even a dead whale.
Fish kills are common along the Gulf of Mexico, where "Dead Zones" now pop up every year. But these fish kills, especially around the mouth of the Mississippi river, have usually been limited to a single species of fish — not a broad die-off of dozens of species like redfish, flounder, trout and, if a local Louisiana news station is correct, a whale.
That's raising alarms with local Louisiana governmental officials like Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser, who distributed the photo up top to local media. He thinks the die-off may be related to the BP oil disaster this summer.
Many scientists fear we'll see more dead zones like these as an influx of oil-eating microbes would lead to more Gulf Coast dead zones, as the microbes produced by chemical dispersants use heavy amounts of oxygen when consuming oil particles.
There's no proof that the BP oil spill is to blame for this particular fish kill, but frankly, no matter what the cause, it's still a horrific sight to see.
Source: Yahoo via Cajun Boy
Christian college bans pornographers - the New Pornographers, that is
A Christian college in Michigan recently acquiesced to pressure from its supporters after scheduling The New Pornographers to play on their campus. Rumor says the band name is an ironic reference to Jimmy Swaggart's (the Abraham Lincoln of Christian culture, or at least the President Taft) infamous statement that rock is the new pornography, but Christian culture isn't exactly known for its grasp of irony.
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/stuffchristianculturelikes/2010/09/189-not-the-new-pornographers.html#ixzz0zc7p6Rpp
Hat lover arrested (SFW)
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. OMG OMG OMG OMG. WAIT, WAIT. I can hardly breathe. Heeeeee…..heeeeeeeee…… HA HA HA HA HA HA. Hold on, just a sec. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Whew. Okay. I’m better.
Obviously, this man is from Florida and loves hats. Now onto the story:
A Florida man was so upset with his 13-year-old stepson’s performance at a football game that he pulled a BB gun on him and fired rounds to “motivate” the child into doing sprints in his front yard.
Robert Lynn Barker, 42, was arrested on child abuse and aggravated assault with a weapon charges after a concerned neighbor called 911.
The teen was sent home on Saturday after he told his coach he felt dizzy. He suffered a concussion three weeks ago.
But Barker thought the boy needed more practice, not rest, so he sent him out in the scorching 107 degree weather. “You can’t play football and not be in shape,” Barker told WFTV. “He wants to play football, he likes playing football.”He says he would never intentionally hurt his son, and BB gun was used to motivate him–including the rounds that he fired to use as a “starter.”
“I was arrested for making my kid run sprints. Now, if you’re going to arrest me you go arrest every coach in America, ’cause I did not do nothing that every coach in America, every NFL coach does,” he said.
Barker has been ordered to stay away from the child. He says he plans on contacting an attorney.
The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
By Ed Bott | September 9, 2010, 6:37pm PDT
Summary
iTunes 10 might be brand new, but little has changed in Cupertino. Apple still gives Windows users a single installer that clutters your hard disk with a bunch of unnecessary components, some of which can be harmful to your system’s security and reliability. I show you how to take control of the iTunes 10 installer so you get exactly what you want and nothing more.
Topics
Blogger Info
Ed Bott
Biography
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.
One of the most popular posts I wrote in 2008 was a set of step-by-step instructions to help you do what Apple doesn’t want you to do with iTunes for Windows (see Slimming down the bloated iTunes installer). Now that iTunes 10 has been released, it’s apparent that nothing has changed in Cupertino. Apple still gives its customers a monolithic iTunes setup program with absolutely no options to pick and choose based on your specific needs.
Why is that important? When you run the iTunes setup program, it unpacks six Windows Installer packages and a master setup program, which then installs nearly 300MB of program and support files, a kernel-mode CD/DVD-burning driver, multiple system services, and a bunch of browser plugins. It configures two “helper” programs to start automatically every time you start your PC, giving you no easy way to disable them. It installs a network service that many iTunes users don’t need and that has been associated with security and reliability issues.
And you wonder why I dislike iTunes with a passion that burns like the fire of a thousand suns?
That’s where this post comes in. It contains detailed, up-to-date instructions for cracking open that gigantic iTunes installer and installing just the pieces you want and need. I’ve also updated my advice for individual scenarios so that you can make intelligent choices instead of simply settling for Apple’s defaults.
To get started, you need a copy of the iTunes Windows installer, which comes in x86 and x64 versions and is available via this download page. You also need a third-party file extraction utility. WinZip and WinRAR work fine, but I recommend the free and extraordinarily versatile IZArc utility. Use the File, Open menu to extract files from iTunesSetup.exe (or, on x64 Windows machines, iTunes64Setup.exe). This screen shows the contents of the 64-bit iTunes 10 installer.
Extract those files to a local or network folder and you can run them individually, using command-line switches to control their behavior. On the next page, I describe what is in each of those installer packages.
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.
Disclosure
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is a freelance technical journalist and book author. All work that Ed does is on a contractual basis.
Since 1994, Ed has written more than 25 books about Microsoft Windows and Office. Along with various co-authors, Ed is completely responsible for the content of the books he writes. As a key part of his contractual relationship with publishers, he gives them permission to print and distribute the content he writes and to pay him a royalty based on the actual sales of those books. Ed's books are currently distributed by Que Publishing (a division of Pearson Education) and by Microsoft Press.
On occasion, Ed accepts consulting assignments. In recent years, he has worked as an expert witness in cases where his experience and knowledge of Microsoft and Microsoft Windows have been useful. In each such case, his compensation is on an hourly basis, and he is hired as a witness, not an advocate.
Ed does not own stock or have any other financial interest in Microsoft or any other software company. He owns 500 shares of stock in EMC Corporation, which was purchased before the company's acquisition of VMWare. In addition, he owns 350 shares of stock in Intel Corporation, purchased more than two years ago. All stocks are held in retirement accounts for long-term growth.
Ed does not accept gifts from companies he covers. All hardware products he writes about are purchased with his own funds or are review units covered under formal loan agreements and are returned after the review is complete.
Biography
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.
More from “Ed Bott's Microsoft Report”
Related Discussions on TechRepublic
Did you know you can take part in these discussions with your ZDNet membership?Talkback Most Recent of 152 Talkback(s)
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RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
Thanks for the article. Apple does some great things sometimes like the iPhone but then they produce some absolute rubbish as well, like iTunes. Big company I suppose.RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@craigvn@... Really it comes down to this... great hardware company, pathetic software company.RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@GoodThings2LifeWell, they assume that they 'know the best' for people using their OS and software programs. If they didn't, then they would allow people to buy and sell Hackintosh's no problem, while simply saying that they do not support anything but [list of Apple computers] and if you buy a Hackintosh? Whine to the person who sold it to you.
Lerianis1009/10/2010 05:34 AMZDNet Blogger
Look again
@Lerianis10
they assume that they 'know the best' for people using their OS and software programs"This post is about the Windows version of iTunes. That is not "their OS." (And it shows.)
Ed Bott09/10/2010 07:01 AMEd, why use iTunes at all?
@GoodThings2Life ... if you don't like it, and generally dislike Apple products in general, why aren't you using Zune and Zunetunes, or whatever it's called?HollywoodDog09/10/2010 10:46 AM@HollywoodDog: Because WP7 isn't ready yet
While the best smartphone out there today is iPhone 4, Apple forces you to use iTunes. So while I like the iPhone 4 (previous iPhones really, really sucked bad), most of us really hate iTunes.Zune software, on the other hand, is truly a fantastic media manager. Even Apple thought so since they keep copying UI and functionality from Zune.
For me, it will be a race between Apple improving iTunes and MS improving WP7. Whoever can do that first will get my business.
I hope that answers your question.
NonZealot09/10/2010 10:58 AM
- Flagged
I was asking Ed why he was using iTunes
@GoodThings2Life ... I've never used and will never use any Zune software, so I don't know about your allegations of 'copying', but I suspect you're just making that up.
In any case, if anyone doesn't like any piece of the Apple world, there's an alternative. So I don't understand the need to complain.HollywoodDog09/10/2010 11:55 AM
- Flagged
What a tool...
@NonZealotZune software, on the other hand, is truly a fantastic media manager. Even Apple thought so since they keep copying UI and functionality from Zune."
Just what UI and functionality has Apple copied from the loser device known as Zune???
iPod and iPhones don't "squirt"... And in contrast, people like them and actually buy them... If Zune was as awesome as you think it is, it would sell.
"most of us really hate iTunes"
Define "us"... Are you talking about you and your other 13 personalities? Cus if we are talking about the world, it doesn't appear to be as hated as you and your personas think (or fail to think)... Heck, Even Ed Bott had to write a blog about installing it in pieces only to conclude that you might as well install it all.i8thecat09/10/2010 12:04 PM
- Flagged
@Hollywood: Haha, love the assumption!
I've never used and will never use any Zune softwareGot it, so you are talking from a position of complete and utter ignorance.
I don't know about your allegations of 'copying', but I suspect you're just making that up.
Since you've already admitted that you are utterly ignorant about the competition, let me educate you. Ping is poor copy of Zune's social capabilities, devoid of most of the useful aspects of Zune's social capabilities.
The other big thing in iTunes 10 was the album list view which is nearly a pixel by pixel copy of Zune's album view.
if anyone doesn't like any piece of the Apple world, there's an alternative. So I don't understand the need to complain.
Yup, makes me wonder why you Apple zealots complain so much about Windows since Mac OS has always been an alternative. I take it that all Windows complaining will suddenly cease now that we are employing a single standard around complaining?
Cue the double standards...
NonZealot09/10/2010 12:09 PM
- Flagged
@Hollywood
What has Apple copied from Zune?FM Radio: The Zune wasn't the first PMP to have an FM radio but Apple never thought it was important enough to add built-in support for it in it's iPods until Microsoft spent years toting about it on Zune.
FM Tagging: Same exact concept. If the station was broadcasting the information on the current song you could tag it and purchase it from their music store later.
Ping: Like NonZealot, their take on the Zune Social but without everything that makes Zune Social great like play counts, Xbox Live integration, browser version.
Album view: Now that is a carbon copy of something that has been around in Windows Media Player since version 11. They try to make it seem intuitive because it only does it when there are five songs from the same album. In media player it shows the art even if there is one song, which makes more since for consistency.
Genius Mixes: iTunes 8 and Zune 4.0 introduced Genius and SmartDJ, respectively. Genius only produced playlist based on the music you had in your library while SmartDJ generates them based on music you played in the past (it keeps track) and the music related and adds song from your collection and whats available in the Marketplace. When iTunes 9 released it introduced Genius Mixes which pretty much does what SmartDJ does. Except you have to purchase the music that you don't have in iTunes while with Zune if you have a Zune Pass it will just stream what you don't have in your collection, or you can download them.
wixostrix@...09/10/2010 12:56 PMiTunes has implemented new features
@GoodThings2Life ... and since the world of music players and apps is a finite one, some of the features are kind of similar.
I think that to assert this constitutes "copying" isn't right. Ping isn't the same as Zune's social capabilities, which as I understand it center around devices connecting to one another and "squirting" (hey baby, let me squirt you with song), which Zune has not implemented.
They did add FM receiver, which I think is rather silly. The only time I can imagine using that is in the gym to listen to the TV or something, but I am not going to spend money buying an FM receiver.
Considering that Zune utterly failed, Apple isn't 'copying' out of a desire to keep customers and not lose them to Zune.
In any case, a collection of features which Microsoft fans seem to think is great in the Zune case, now apparently constitute 'bloat' in Apple's.
Why do I complain about Windows? Because it's forced on me by the company I work for. Nobody forces Apple on anyone. Consumers demand its products.
The jerky and arrogant IT administrator forces Windows on me.HollywoodDog09/10/2010 01:31 PMRE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@i8thecat - Well "us" would be quite a few people.
iTunes is horrible slow, takes forever to build the library, it's interface is garbage, it's buggy has heck. The ONLY reason it is popular is CrApple FORCES you to use the software. And as far as your - as usual - goofball comments against Zune, my daughter has had a 80Gig Zune for 4 years and it works, the battery is great and while old still holds up. She has had two iPods - battery was garbage and there were issues. She gave up and went to a Zune and has been switching other people over. She wants the HD, but her's works and is having a hardtime switching. The Zune software is pretty nice clean, simple and fast. Something iTunes cannot say. So you continue your immature rants, but your standing on tooth picks for support.ItsTheBottomLine09/11/2010 04:55 AMHollywoodDog. Ther must be a reason as to why your company
Chose Microsoft over Apple. Did it ever occur to you that as a colective whole they have a better understanding of the opereating system vs your single opinion?And if a company forced their employees to muttle thru with OS X, would they be allowed to complain about it, or do you believe it should only be a "one way street" (using one of your human metaphors)?
Mister Spock09/11/2010 09:56 AMTruthfully?
@craigvn@... I think iTunes is a pretty good piece of software. The complaints here (and elsewhere) generally revolve around only the Windows version of it (which you paid how much for? Oh yeah, Apple ported that app over and gave it to Windows users FREE!), and have to do with wanting more control over what's installed.This is a good, informative article, but I could do without the anti-Apple/anti-iTunes tone it was written in.... I use both Macs and Windows PCs, including supporting iTunes for some of our XP users in a corporate environment. There are some deficiencies in iTunes for Windows. (It stores too much data, by default, in a user's roaming profile, for one thing.) But all in all? It's pretty nice having a "one stop" application for all things "Apple device related". None of this nonsense of finding and installing a "firmware updater utility" for each individual product, when needed, for example. If it's an Apple device, you know you just manage the whole thing centrally in iTunes, period.
I'll answer your question
@kingtj
which you paid how much forI paid a few hundred dollars for my iPhone which won't work without iTunes. I wouldn't have purchased an iPhone if I was going to be forced to use OS X so let's not pretend that Apple is giving Windows users iTunes out of the goodness of their hearts.
So yes, I would expect a company to support a product that I paid hundreds of dollars for. This includes all peripheral products that are required for the operation of the primary product. Apple does not get a pass just because iTunes, as a standalone product, is free. I wouldn't be using iTunes unless Apple forced me to use it as part of my iPhone purchase which was NOT free.
NonZealot09/10/2010 02:11 PM
- Flagged
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
By Ed Bott | September 9, 2010, 6:37pm PDT
Summary
iTunes 10 might be brand new, but little has changed in Cupertino. Apple still gives Windows users a single installer that clutters your hard disk with a bunch of unnecessary components, some of which can be harmful to your system’s security and reliability. I show you how to take control of the iTunes 10 installer so you get exactly what you want and nothing more.
Topics
Blogger Info
Ed Bott
Biography
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.
One of the most popular posts I wrote in 2008 was a set of step-by-step instructions to help you do what Apple doesn’t want you to do with iTunes for Windows (see Slimming down the bloated iTunes installer). Now that iTunes 10 has been released, it’s apparent that nothing has changed in Cupertino. Apple still gives its customers a monolithic iTunes setup program with absolutely no options to pick and choose based on your specific needs.
Why is that important? When you run the iTunes setup program, it unpacks six Windows Installer packages and a master setup program, which then installs nearly 300MB of program and support files, a kernel-mode CD/DVD-burning driver, multiple system services, and a bunch of browser plugins. It configures two “helper” programs to start automatically every time you start your PC, giving you no easy way to disable them. It installs a network service that many iTunes users don’t need and that has been associated with security and reliability issues.
And you wonder why I dislike iTunes with a passion that burns like the fire of a thousand suns?
That’s where this post comes in. It contains detailed, up-to-date instructions for cracking open that gigantic iTunes installer and installing just the pieces you want and need. I’ve also updated my advice for individual scenarios so that you can make intelligent choices instead of simply settling for Apple’s defaults.
To get started, you need a copy of the iTunes Windows installer, which comes in x86 and x64 versions and is available via this download page. You also need a third-party file extraction utility. WinZip and WinRAR work fine, but I recommend the free and extraordinarily versatile IZArc utility. Use the File, Open menu to extract files from iTunesSetup.exe (or, on x64 Windows machines, iTunes64Setup.exe). This screen shows the contents of the 64-bit iTunes 10 installer.
Extract those files to a local or network folder and you can run them individually, using command-line switches to control their behavior. On the next page, I describe what is in each of those installer packages.
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.
Disclosure
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is a freelance technical journalist and book author. All work that Ed does is on a contractual basis.
Since 1994, Ed has written more than 25 books about Microsoft Windows and Office. Along with various co-authors, Ed is completely responsible for the content of the books he writes. As a key part of his contractual relationship with publishers, he gives them permission to print and distribute the content he writes and to pay him a royalty based on the actual sales of those books. Ed's books are currently distributed by Que Publishing (a division of Pearson Education) and by Microsoft Press.
On occasion, Ed accepts consulting assignments. In recent years, he has worked as an expert witness in cases where his experience and knowledge of Microsoft and Microsoft Windows have been useful. In each such case, his compensation is on an hourly basis, and he is hired as a witness, not an advocate.
Ed does not own stock or have any other financial interest in Microsoft or any other software company. He owns 500 shares of stock in EMC Corporation, which was purchased before the company's acquisition of VMWare. In addition, he owns 350 shares of stock in Intel Corporation, purchased more than two years ago. All stocks are held in retirement accounts for long-term growth.
Ed does not accept gifts from companies he covers. All hardware products he writes about are purchased with his own funds or are review units covered under formal loan agreements and are returned after the review is complete.
Biography
Ed Bott
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He's served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the author of more than 25 books on Microsoft Windows and Office, including the recently released Windows 7 Inside Out.
More from “Ed Bott's Microsoft Report”
Related Discussions on TechRepublic
Did you know you can take part in these discussions with your ZDNet membership?Talkback Most Recent of 152 Talkback(s)
- Follow via:
- RSS
- Email Alert
RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
Thanks for the article. Apple does some great things sometimes like the iPhone but then they produce some absolute rubbish as well, like iTunes. Big company I suppose.RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@craigvn@... Really it comes down to this... great hardware company, pathetic software company.RE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@GoodThings2LifeWell, they assume that they 'know the best' for people using their OS and software programs. If they didn't, then they would allow people to buy and sell Hackintosh's no problem, while simply saying that they do not support anything but [list of Apple computers] and if you buy a Hackintosh? Whine to the person who sold it to you.
Lerianis1009/10/2010 05:34 AMZDNet Blogger
Look again
@Lerianis10
they assume that they 'know the best' for people using their OS and software programs"This post is about the Windows version of iTunes. That is not "their OS." (And it shows.)
Ed Bott09/10/2010 07:01 AMEd, why use iTunes at all?
@GoodThings2Life ... if you don't like it, and generally dislike Apple products in general, why aren't you using Zune and Zunetunes, or whatever it's called?HollywoodDog09/10/2010 10:46 AM@HollywoodDog: Because WP7 isn't ready yet
While the best smartphone out there today is iPhone 4, Apple forces you to use iTunes. So while I like the iPhone 4 (previous iPhones really, really sucked bad), most of us really hate iTunes.Zune software, on the other hand, is truly a fantastic media manager. Even Apple thought so since they keep copying UI and functionality from Zune.
For me, it will be a race between Apple improving iTunes and MS improving WP7. Whoever can do that first will get my business.
I hope that answers your question.
NonZealot09/10/2010 10:58 AM
- Flagged
I was asking Ed why he was using iTunes
@GoodThings2Life ... I've never used and will never use any Zune software, so I don't know about your allegations of 'copying', but I suspect you're just making that up.
In any case, if anyone doesn't like any piece of the Apple world, there's an alternative. So I don't understand the need to complain.HollywoodDog09/10/2010 11:55 AM
- Flagged
What a tool...
@NonZealotZune software, on the other hand, is truly a fantastic media manager. Even Apple thought so since they keep copying UI and functionality from Zune."
Just what UI and functionality has Apple copied from the loser device known as Zune???
iPod and iPhones don't "squirt"... And in contrast, people like them and actually buy them... If Zune was as awesome as you think it is, it would sell.
"most of us really hate iTunes"
Define "us"... Are you talking about you and your other 13 personalities? Cus if we are talking about the world, it doesn't appear to be as hated as you and your personas think (or fail to think)... Heck, Even Ed Bott had to write a blog about installing it in pieces only to conclude that you might as well install it all.i8thecat09/10/2010 12:04 PM
- Flagged
@Hollywood: Haha, love the assumption!
I've never used and will never use any Zune softwareGot it, so you are talking from a position of complete and utter ignorance.
I don't know about your allegations of 'copying', but I suspect you're just making that up.
Since you've already admitted that you are utterly ignorant about the competition, let me educate you. Ping is poor copy of Zune's social capabilities, devoid of most of the useful aspects of Zune's social capabilities.
The other big thing in iTunes 10 was the album list view which is nearly a pixel by pixel copy of Zune's album view.
if anyone doesn't like any piece of the Apple world, there's an alternative. So I don't understand the need to complain.
Yup, makes me wonder why you Apple zealots complain so much about Windows since Mac OS has always been an alternative. I take it that all Windows complaining will suddenly cease now that we are employing a single standard around complaining?
Cue the double standards...
NonZealot09/10/2010 12:09 PM
- Flagged
@Hollywood
What has Apple copied from Zune?FM Radio: The Zune wasn't the first PMP to have an FM radio but Apple never thought it was important enough to add built-in support for it in it's iPods until Microsoft spent years toting about it on Zune.
FM Tagging: Same exact concept. If the station was broadcasting the information on the current song you could tag it and purchase it from their music store later.
Ping: Like NonZealot, their take on the Zune Social but without everything that makes Zune Social great like play counts, Xbox Live integration, browser version.
Album view: Now that is a carbon copy of something that has been around in Windows Media Player since version 11. They try to make it seem intuitive because it only does it when there are five songs from the same album. In media player it shows the art even if there is one song, which makes more since for consistency.
Genius Mixes: iTunes 8 and Zune 4.0 introduced Genius and SmartDJ, respectively. Genius only produced playlist based on the music you had in your library while SmartDJ generates them based on music you played in the past (it keeps track) and the music related and adds song from your collection and whats available in the Marketplace. When iTunes 9 released it introduced Genius Mixes which pretty much does what SmartDJ does. Except you have to purchase the music that you don't have in iTunes while with Zune if you have a Zune Pass it will just stream what you don't have in your collection, or you can download them.
wixostrix@...09/10/2010 12:56 PMiTunes has implemented new features
@GoodThings2Life ... and since the world of music players and apps is a finite one, some of the features are kind of similar.
I think that to assert this constitutes "copying" isn't right. Ping isn't the same as Zune's social capabilities, which as I understand it center around devices connecting to one another and "squirting" (hey baby, let me squirt you with song), which Zune has not implemented.
They did add FM receiver, which I think is rather silly. The only time I can imagine using that is in the gym to listen to the TV or something, but I am not going to spend money buying an FM receiver.
Considering that Zune utterly failed, Apple isn't 'copying' out of a desire to keep customers and not lose them to Zune.
In any case, a collection of features which Microsoft fans seem to think is great in the Zune case, now apparently constitute 'bloat' in Apple's.
Why do I complain about Windows? Because it's forced on me by the company I work for. Nobody forces Apple on anyone. Consumers demand its products.
The jerky and arrogant IT administrator forces Windows on me.HollywoodDog09/10/2010 01:31 PMRE: The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware
@i8thecat - Well "us" would be quite a few people.
iTunes is horrible slow, takes forever to build the library, it's interface is garbage, it's buggy has heck. The ONLY reason it is popular is CrApple FORCES you to use the software. And as far as your - as usual - goofball comments against Zune, my daughter has had a 80Gig Zune for 4 years and it works, the battery is great and while old still holds up. She has had two iPods - battery was garbage and there were issues. She gave up and went to a Zune and has been switching other people over. She wants the HD, but her's works and is having a hardtime switching. The Zune software is pretty nice clean, simple and fast. Something iTunes cannot say. So you continue your immature rants, but your standing on tooth picks for support.ItsTheBottomLine09/11/2010 04:55 AMHollywoodDog. Ther must be a reason as to why your company
Chose Microsoft over Apple. Did it ever occur to you that as a colective whole they have a better understanding of the opereating system vs your single opinion?And if a company forced their employees to muttle thru with OS X, would they be allowed to complain about it, or do you believe it should only be a "one way street" (using one of your human metaphors)?
Mister Spock09/11/2010 09:56 AMTruthfully?
@craigvn@... I think iTunes is a pretty good piece of software. The complaints here (and elsewhere) generally revolve around only the Windows version of it (which you paid how much for? Oh yeah, Apple ported that app over and gave it to Windows users FREE!), and have to do with wanting more control over what's installed.This is a good, informative article, but I could do without the anti-Apple/anti-iTunes tone it was written in.... I use both Macs and Windows PCs, including supporting iTunes for some of our XP users in a corporate environment. There are some deficiencies in iTunes for Windows. (It stores too much data, by default, in a user's roaming profile, for one thing.) But all in all? It's pretty nice having a "one stop" application for all things "Apple device related". None of this nonsense of finding and installing a "firmware updater utility" for each individual product, when needed, for example. If it's an Apple device, you know you just manage the whole thing centrally in iTunes, period.
I'll answer your question
@kingtj
which you paid how much forI paid a few hundred dollars for my iPhone which won't work without iTunes. I wouldn't have purchased an iPhone if I was going to be forced to use OS X so let's not pretend that Apple is giving Windows users iTunes out of the goodness of their hearts.
So yes, I would expect a company to support a product that I paid hundreds of dollars for. This includes all peripheral products that are required for the operation of the primary product. Apple does not get a pass just because iTunes, as a standalone product, is free. I wouldn't be using iTunes unless Apple forced me to use it as part of my iPhone purchase which was NOT free.
NonZealot09/10/2010 02:11 PM
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