iTunes now available for Windows ...

For those who may be interested the iTunes Music Store now has a MS Windows application available HERE for free.

This allows legit purchase and downloading of music at $.99 a pop in the US (so far only the US because of licensing limitations in the contracts with the music companies).

If nothing else, since it's a freebie, trying it out wouldn't hurt.

Enjoy!

I'll post a full, unbiased review (Windows version vs. Mac version) as soon as I get home...and off this wonderful {sic} 28800 connection.

It looks nice, but it still acts like a windows program by needing to restart after its installed itself.

Geoff

Heheheheh ... Well, Geoff, if it's installing on an MS Windows system it pretty much has to act like an MS Windows program - because it is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've been running iTunes for so long that I don't recall at all how it installed on my machine (not MS Windows).

<<click>> I just started the timer, waiting for the first virus to hit iTunes for Windows.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

PhotonBoy, are you a betting man? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Cause I'll take that bet.

There's something puzzling about a bunch of Apple users being in a buzz about about an Apple offering to Windows users. Particularly when it seems the Windows users have only responded so far with a yawn. Go figure.

Empath, even a yawn from the window community might still double their business /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif It's also good for us since their potential market just grew exponentially and so did their negotiating power with the various record lables and all the rest.

This is already a profitable venture for them even without windows support. So they can afford to wait for it to take off. They don't need to blitz you guys into jumping in before you're ready or spam you with over zealous marketing.

Since there is no sign up fee or regular billing, you only pay for what you actually buy (wow, like a regular store almost!) there is no hurry. Check it out, or not. Thats OK /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The other reason we're excited is that we want our Windows friends (yes I still associate with people that don't share my choice in computers) to get interested in it like we are. I've been thrilled that they have been adding LOTS of classic jazz stuff to the catalog in the last few weeks. There is lots more for me to be interested in on it recently...

I buy lottery tickets only, and only when the pot is over $10 million. For iTunes4Win, getting hacked or hit by a virus is inevitable. Viruses, worms and trojans for Windows are being released at the rate of 1 per day in October.

Let's see....iTunes charges $0.99 per song. Amazon charged me $9.98 for the last cd that I bought which had 18 songs on it. That works out to be $9.98/18 = $0.554 per song. I don't the benifit of ITunes.

Roy, if you buy an album on the ITMS (iTunes Music Store) they only ever charge you the $9.95, even if it has 18 songs on it. (they do charge more for double albums or multi-CD compilations) And, there is no shipping charge. So at some point it would be cheaper to buy the whole album rather than the individual songs. You do that by clicking the "buy album" button rather than the individual "buy song" buttons /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

EDIT: photonboy, just saw your post. OK then. Since you don't specify any material goods as part of the transaction it will just be a gentlemens bet. What time frame shall we give the hackers, cause it can't just go on forever. At some point I want to follow up on this. is a month enough time? Afterall they must be storming all over it. 90 days? 1 year? Pick a time frame, I can wait /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


EDIT: EDIT: PPS, lotery tickets are a tax on people who are bad at math /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

[ QUOTE ]
GeoffChan said:
It looks nice, but it still acts like a windows program by needing to restart after its installed itself.

Geoff

[/ QUOTE ]

Easy CD Creator 6 was the last program I can remember that I needed to reboot for.
I installed and uninstalled about 7 DVD ripping programs, McAfee ViruScan 7 and 8, and a host of others, all without rebooting.
This was all on Windows XP Home.

The only times I've rebooted my Mac in October:

Install OS
Install major patch on OS
Install Missing Sync for PocketPC (Or in other words, 1 out of dozens of programs).

That's it. It doubles as a server so it stays on all night. Never locks up. Lovely really.

Roy, often there are one or two selections on a CD that I really enjoy and actually would consider buying. In those instances paying only $.99 each for those one or two selections is a plus - I don't have to buy an entire $10-$20 CD for just those selections.

An additional advantage is the quick and easy availability. Instant gratification. I find some Vince Giraldi and Zap! I have a copy sitting here, ready to burn onto a nice fresh CD compilation just for me.

Like James said, there comes a point where the repeated $.99 is more than just going ahead and buying the entire 'album' on iTunes (usually at about 10 selections from the same album), and at that point I'll just BUY the entire album - on iTunes if I want it right now, or at a local store if the CD is still available.

(That's one thing that iTunes offers: A lot of older, 'out-of-print' stuff that is difficult to find. If all one buys is the latest, uh, 'music' on the rack, and spends a lot of time in or close to stores where it is available, it's no huge advantage, unless one is selective and doesn't want the other 11 selections on the latest CD. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Do I still buy commercial CD's? Yup! Sometimes that's what I want - the whole thing in absolute best quality and all the trimmings - latest one was a Les McCann set.

There are also other on-line sources I use - http://www.emusic.com/ is a good one. I may even have D/L more from them than from the iTunes store. Either way, though, keeping track of all the sound files is done with iTunes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Empath, I happen to think iTunes (the client application) is a good program, and even if never used to buy something from the iTunes Music Store is worth a look. It takes care of cataloging audio files quite handily, has good internals, good interface, and works well. The availability of the Store with it's music and spoken books, and the smooth way it is integrated into the entire experience is a bonus.

I'm assuming that much of that 'experience' is available in the MS Windows version, too, and just like when the latest Photoshop or whatever came out, I was excited to let people know - no matter what their platform.

Heck, when I see warnings that something needs to be updated because of a security problem, I post a note here, too. That's not because it directly affects me (though it often will indirectly affect me when worms and viruses clog up the internet), it's because people I consider friends happen to use that 'other' software, and I want them warned and protected. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I don't divide my friends into groups based on the software they use, and only treat certain ones well (though some of them do seem to do that ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ).

The only difference in talking about iTunes rather than Photoshop, printers, browsers, scanners, drives, etc. is that it happens to be made by Apple. So? We talk about MSIE which is made by Microsoft ... No big deal, really. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I don't know much about iTunes yet. I do know about QuickTime and that it is not a well behaved program. I've got QuickTime, but I have to be very careful every time I use it or it hijacks my associations. That doesn't give me the warm fuzzies regarding Apple's software.

I already have a means of playing music, I don't need a different program for that. If the music they offer can only be played by their software, I'd rather not bother.

I already have a means to download a file, I don't need a different program for that. If their files can only be downloaded through their program, I'd rather not bother.

I already have a means, called "username and password" to indicate who I am at sites. I don't need a different program for that. If they require that you indicate who you are through a program that positively identifies you with the serial numbers and such from their program, I'd rather not bother.

I already have a means to create folders to contain my music. I don't need a different program for that. If their music and downloading their software requires the use of a user tracking piece of software, I'd rather not bother.

Empath, you don't want it, thats fine /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif You're obviously not the target audience.

In reference to Quick Time, it's funny actually most of the Mac pundits are more than a little embarrassed by the exact things you just mentioned. I read those exact words in a Mac only publication this afternoon. They said exactly that Quick Time wasn't a good emissary to the Windows world, but that iTunes would be. For the very specific reason that it is fully equal to that Mac version in every way. (well I can name a few, but thats more in the programming API level than anything you'd notice /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) They have decided that it's rude to release software to you that still holds something out and say "HA, you want any more, you better buy a Mac!" This program doesn't say that anymore.

It's perfectly capable of ripping to MP3 files and of playing any MP3 or other encoded file (except for windows media files with DRM encoded) that you happen to have. If you want to purchase files though they will come down in AAC format, which is basically the audio segment of mpeg4. You can then convert them to MP3 or burn to disk or whatever, but you would have to use their program for the download and the purchase. As far as identifying you or something like that they do indeed embed some DRM. The details of it are available on their site in fairly plain english. It is the least restricting of any DRM currently being applied. You cannot buy music online with a better deal from any of the other companies.

It will make folders for you if you want it to. But you can also have it happily play from your already organized folders. No reason to change the setup you have.

You do need a user name and password, otherwise you wouldn't be able to purchase music. Have to identify you somehow or they can't take your CC# (which they actually keep on file in your "one click" account so you don't have to re-enter it every time you spend a dollar)

It doesn't sound to me like you're interested. I think you might change your mind if you listened to a 128k AAC file vs a 128kMP3 file /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif but thats OK by me. But your list of concerns really aren't concerning /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
James S said:
If you want to purchase files though they will come down in AAC format, which is basically the audio segment of mpeg4. You can then convert them to MP3 or burn to disk or whatever, but you would have to use their program for the download and the purchase.

[/ QUOTE ]

Purchased files are protected and CAN NOT be converted to other formats.
At least that's what my version is claiming.
If anyone knows different I'd sure appreciate the info.

And contrary to the claims on their website -- the software says that purchased music may only be burned to CD ten times.

So far I'm feeling pretty ripped off.

I've personally converted a few dozen protected AAC files from the iTunes Music Store (using iTunes) to other formats and burned them to CD-ROMs for use in other CD players. This is one of the things specificly offered by iTunes.

EDIT: There! I just did it again ...

EDIT II: The limit of ten copies appears to be a limit on ten copies of a particular "Playlist" or compilation of songs. I don't see a limit on the number of times an individual file can be copied. (Even if there were, it would be ineffective since one coyld simply make a single burn of a CD, then copy it an infinite number of times ... )

Then again, this is all based on the first two released versions of iTunes for the Mac, and not on the latest version for Mac and MS Windows which I have not yet downloaded ...

As always, YMMV.

<font color="#666666"> (If one does not like the way the program works, or the limitations imposed on bulk copying by the contracts Apple has with the music distrubutors, one does not have to use the program. OF COURSE there are limitations on what one can do with the music purchased. Those are imposed by law and contract by the owners of the IP - the music distributors and artists. I suppose one could always go the route of doing it illegally rather than in a legal manner as offered by Apple and soon by Microsoft. Yes, both will include DRM methods - that is a requirement before those companies were allowed to provide the services. My whole reason in initially mentioning this release of iTunes was to let folks know that it had been released, not to suggest it's use or force people to use it. Like everything else, some will like it, some will not, some will not care. Some will dislike it before they even know what it is. That's to be expected. *sigh*) </font>

Maybe it's just unavailable to the Windows users.

Here's the message that comes up:
"'Song' could not be converted because protected files cannot be converted to other formats."

Is there some trick to it?