The Imminent Departure of iTunes into the Dustbin of History.

[GtrsRGr8]

Popular broadcaster and columnist of "all things digital," Kim Komando, passed along the following, in her daily email message to subscribers, yesterday (June 4, 2019 EDT).

I can't think of anything that has been more of a "Resource" (I was most interested in the ship-load of college courses), nor "Deal" (all of the college courses (through what Apple had called "iTunes U.")) have been _free_.

Ms.Komando:
"RIP iTunes: After almost 20 years, Apple pulls the plug on media program iTunes as we know it will be no more [sic]. At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that it is taking iTunes off its new operating system for Macs and Macbooks. Instead of iTunes, consumers will see apps for Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts, which already exist on iPhones and iPads."

Despite my glowing comments above, I say good riddance. That's primarily because Apple apparently offered the "iTunes U." only to owners of Apple devices (I spent about an hour and a half a few nights ago trying to find out if I, a Windows/Android user, could access iTunes U. now. I came to the conclusion that I could not. Windows users _could_ do that just a few years ago.)

[binaryhermit]

Allegedly, Windows iTunes is staying as-is for now.

And I'm not sure if what's replacing iTunes is really better in any way, it's just 3 separate programs.

And as I don't really frequently use a device that supports iTunes...

Although I could go through the hell that might be required to get it working on wine, if I really wanted to.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Allegedly, Windows iTunes is staying as-is for now.

Maybe you're right. I just based my comments upon what Ms. Komando wrote. I feel that she's (or, I should say, her staff is) credible.

[HarryT]

Moved to the Apple forum.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Allegedly, Windows iTunes is staying as-is for now.

And I'm not sure if what's replacing iTunes is really better in any way, it's just 3 separate programs.

Better or no, it is what many users have been requesting for years and years. iTunes has become a symbol of bloat, even amongst Apple loyalists.

[HarryT]

I do hope that if they eventually split it up on Windows too, the functionality to manage a local music library is retained. iTunes is one of my most used programs. It's essential to me.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Although I could go through the hell that might be required to get it working on wine, if I really wanted to.

I gave up. Also though I managed to connect the iPhone 4s to Linux and copy MP3s, you need VLC to play them. The built in player ONLY plays music transferred by iTunes (either cloud or iTunes on a PC). No music Player app will install on iOS7, VLC used to work on iPhone 4, but I was given the phone and it had nothing extra installed except a couple of games.

I eventually got it to work on an old Win7 PC used occasionally for games, but it's painful to use and very unreliable. No SIM in the iPhone currently, but I thought with 32 G it would be a handy extra MP3 player for my workshop.

Walled Garden. I certainly won't buy any Apple gadget. My daughter has trouble with her iPad. Apple is totally in control, not the owner.

A lot of nonsense in the Media and free PR for Apple (again) about "demise" of iTunes. It's simply restructuring.

I use Amazon and Smashwords for "publishing". Smashwords redistributes to Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo which certainly solves a headache. I've sold some books on all three of those via Smashwords. Overall about as many via Smashwords as Amazon, even though Amazon has maybe more than 90% of eBook sales. There is a Kindle app for everything except Linux. Obviously many Publishers are missing out by only using Amazon. Exclusivity is evil (KDP Select).

It's time Apple was forbidden for making Apps on "iTunes" exclusive, you can't sell or give away any iPhone/iPad app that's on iTunes/Apple Store.

I've also been annoyed by old albums that are now ONLY on iTunes and only sold per track. What sort of idiots are the publishers?

[binaryhermit]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

There is a Kindle app for everything except Linux.

I know read.amazon.com works more than well enough in my experience, and I suspect the Windows kindle app might maybe work in wine.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Maybe you're right. I just based my comments upon what Ms. Komando wrote. I feel that she's (or, I should say, her staff is) credible.

She was clearly talking about the new OS for macs.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

and I suspect the Windows kindle app might maybe work in wine.

It doesn't. An older one did, but you can't install it now because it won't authorise. I think the older one, if already installed, now only works for old content or locally added content.

[pwalker8]

Apple split up the functionality of iTunes on the iPhone and iPad several years ago, so really they are bringing the Mac in line with the iDevices. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. As far as I can tell, they haven't really removed any obvious functionality in the split up. You can still have a local library. Of course, the splitting up of iTunes is something that has been ongoing for several releases. Books and podcast were split off some time ago. This release splits off video and audio books from the music.

I maintain all my music, movies and audiobooks in my local library on my main desktop Mac. I have a large drobo raid that I use for that purpose. On my macbook pro laptop, I tend to leave most of the media in iCloud to save disk space. On my iPhone, I keep certain playlists and media downloaded so I can listen even if I'm in a internet dead spot.

For the most part, bringing the Mac in line with the iDevices makes a lot of sense. Being an audiobook listener, the fact that the mac and iDevices handled audiobooks differently was a source of frustration for me.

[OtinG]

I say good riddance to the single app called iTunes that morphed into something way more involved than just serving up music. iTunes always suggested a "music" oriented app, yet over the years it also included podcasts, movies, videos, books, etc, and was the main tool for backing up and editing your iOS devices via a Mac (or Windows PC). It clearly makes sense to me to pull out those different tools into useful apps of their own. The worst thing about iTunes though, was not just the clutter but the bugs and clunky, kluge interface that blew chunks. I first started using iTunes with an iPod Touch way back with the gen 1, but I didn't have a Mac back then so I installed it on a Windows PC. iTunes was total garbage back then, and it rarely worked well on the PC. I'm sure they worked out the bugs a bit over the years, but what garbage it was. It never really improved enough to endear me to it, even after I got a Mac. So good riddance. May they bury its worthless bones in the Apple cemetery between Cyberdog and the Apple III.

[OtinG]

And BTW, for those of you who use Wine, be aware that Wine only supports 32 bit apps. So beginning with Catalina, Wine wrapped apps won't work, unless Wine gets an update. I'm already seeing issues with some of my Wine wrapped apps with the latest Mojave updates.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Apple split up the functionality of iTunes on the iPhone and iPad several years ago,

To be more accurate, they were never completely together. iPhone had the iTunes Store and an "iPod" app. IIRC it was further split on the iPod touch, from the start, into the Music and Video apps we're familiar with today. I know for sure that the iPad had separate apps from its launch. The iPod app was dropped in iOS 5 to make the iPhone more consistent with the rest of the iOS line. Then finally Podcasts were split off from music in iOS 6.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by OtinG

And BTW, for those of you who use Wine, be aware that Wine only supports 32 bit apps.

Wine supports 32 & 64 bit programs on 64 bit Linux. Not only that, but in some cases if you don't set some environment variables, you ONLY get 64 bit application support. Unless you are talking about the totally broken MS concept of programs designed to run on the non-existent MS Phone as well as on surface and Desktop via tiles except of course there are two incompatible Surfaces (x86 family and ARM family). Almost all the phone models were ARM, because Intel never mastered low power at decent performance. The Atoms are mostly garbage and even deliberately crippled too with most of the 64bit ones physically limited to 2G RAM hence running 32 bit Win10, though 64 bit Linux is fine on them if. Some have 32 bit EFI which complicates 64 bit install.

There are almost no useful MS so called "Apps" anything useful is either an x86 or an x86-64 "program." The whole thing too of listing them separately on the Start menu is also nuts.

I'm only interested in Windows programs or legacy Applications with no Linux alternative, not Redmond's Kool-Aid fuelled absurd nonsense designed for the dead Windows Phone. It's a surprise to me if the tile based nonsense works at all on WINE and I can't think of a single one worth having. It's crazy the junk you can't now uninstall on Windows.