Both my wife and daughter have iPods, so we have iTunes on several of our computers. I still haven't figured out what happened on my daughter's computer, but iTunes lost it's own license information and it wouldn't let us update, or uninstall. We couldn't delete the because we'd lose the licenses to all the iTunes music my daughter had purchased. Apple could fix it either. We left it alone without security updates until we bought a new computer and transferred the music to a fresh install of iTunes.
And storage space hog... LOL..., that’s a big laugh. I have to laugh at that, because my biggest problem with storage space is basically storage for all the songs and audio books and movies and TV shows that I want to have access to. The iTunes software is so insignificant to my library of material that it’s sort of funny for me to even consider or give a second thought to software space. I’m trying to sort out space for my library of materials... :-)
The startup time for iTunes several times that of Windows Media Player, Real Player, or Rhapsody. That's the hallmark of a memory hog. Other software runs distinctly slower when iTunes is running compared to the same software and any other player I've used. I haven't noticed it as much since upgrading my computer, but that still doesn't disqualify it's poor memory performance.
And linking to websites is sort of weird, since I’ve never had the software link me once to any website. Now, that’s really strange. I can’t figure out why it never happens to me and it happens to you...
Every time I search for anything in iTunes (music, album art, music licenses, whatever) the program sends me to the iTunes store and tries to sell me something I'm not interested in. Every time.
You said — Both my wife and daughter have iPods, so we have iTunes on several of our computers. I still haven’t figured out what happened on my daughter’s computer, but iTunes lost it’s own license information and it wouldn’t let us update, or uninstall. We couldn’t delete the because we’d lose the licenses to all the iTunes music my daughter had purchased. Apple could fix it either. We left it alone without security updates until we bought a new computer and transferred the music to a fresh install of iTunes.
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Well, there’s only one thing that I can think of related to what you just said about “license information”.
BUT, I want to first tell you about how Apple has finally convinced the Music companies to *not require* Apple to have license requirements on your computer, or else you can’t play your music. That’s what the music companies demanded of Apple, in order for Apple to be able to sell their music. They demanded that Apple put those license parameters in place on your computer, or they would not let Apple give you any music from their music catalogs.
However, now Apple finally convinced those music companies to dispense with that mechanism and you don’t have to have it on your computer any more, for the music you play. You can convert your music over to the non-DRM music (DRM - Digital Rights Management). I would do that as soon as you can. You can go to iTunes and get them all converted over for the music you bought. That’s something for you to do as soon as you can. Nothing happens that is necessarily bad if you don’t, but you simply dispense with the need for handling your music through what the music companies demanded that Apple do (or you couldn’t get the music from them).
Okay, back to the “license information”. The only thing I can think of, that is related to what you just said is the process in which you “authorize” your computer (and/or device) to play DRM-music for a particular user. You can authorize a certain number of computers/devices and not any more. That was the requirements that Apple was saddled with from the music companies. (with the movie companies, however, it’s another story; they’re not budging... :-) ....).
Now, if something happened to “unauthorize” a computer and/or device, your original catalog of music you have and bought does not disappear. The files remain and are intact in that original catalog you have. And here I’m talking about the software operation not something catastrophic that happens to the computer itself and/or the hard drive itself. For problems related to the computer and/or the hard drive, you’re supposed to keep backups of all your personal files (and that would include your music files, and movie files and/or picture files and so on). You have to always have backups that you have set aside in case of catastrophic failure, and that has nothing to do with iTunes or Apple or how you use your music. That’s just what computer users *must do* with all their personal files (of which “music” is one...).
So, anyway..., those music files are still there and they are intact (in terms of what the software does), even if the computer/device is not “authorized” (i.e., does not have the “license information” in order to play them). The music files don’t disappear (unless it’s a problem with your computer itself and/or the hard drive, but we covered that, in terms of “backups” which have nothing to do with Apple and/or iTunes). When you don’t have license information, you simply can’t play the DRM-ed music. If you attempt to play them, nothing happens to the files; they don’t disappear, they don’t get deleted; they don’t get corrupted. They simply don’t play — that’s all. Basically the software has nothing to do with them, but they are still there and they are not deleted in your original catalog.
You can even send the DRM-ed files to other people who are not authorized. All that will happen is that those files that you send to other people simply won’t play. If you were to go over to their computer and “authorize it” — they would start playing just fine. Nothing happened even when they get DRM-ed files that are not theirs. The file is still intact and it’s still *fully capable* of playing for the original buyer.
So, basically, there’s nothing that prevents you from doing whatever updates or upgrades to a computer, because updates and upgrades don’t delete and trash files — and that’s all that you music is — a file and nothing more. Now, if something you do to the computer *trashes your files* — I would say that you’ve got a problem with your computer and not with Apple. I wouldn’t ever have a computer that trashes my files by doing a system update or whatever... LOL... But, the bottom line here in regards to do updates and upgrades is to always backup, backup and backup (yes..., three times... :-) ...).
You could have continued to do your security updates without affecting any of your user files (or I should say that no security update should ever affect a user’s personal files, but I can’t say how well “Windows” does that... LOL...). I will say that doing a security update on Macintosh won’t affect any user’s files (and again, unless you have a catastrophic failure like a hard drive going down).
In terms of anything that goes wrong with the “authorization” process (i.e., the “license information”). At the most extreme, all you would have to do is de-authorize *everything* and re-authorize it again. That clears the slate. If the original software was corrupted for some reason, then a re-install of the software after getting rid of it first, would be in order and then de-authorize all computers/devices and re-authorize them again, to clear the slate.
And any time that a user is worried about the “status” of their original and personal files, that’s a *clue* that a “backup” is due... LOL...
Basically, your music file are simply files. You can authorize and de-authorize a device and it won’t affect your files. You should always have backups (multiple, at least three) for all your personal files (music, pictures, movies, documents, scans, software you’ve purchased, and “you-name-it” that is yours).
At the most extreme, all you would have to do is simply de-authorize your device (and you can do that from another computer), delete the software, and the re-install the software and then re-load the music files (if necessary, but most of the time that wouldn’t even be necessary) and then re-authorize the device.
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I should also say, that if a Macintosh user has a problem like that, with their “Macintosh computer”, all they have to do is carry their computer right on down to the Apple Store and talk to one of those Apple people at the “Genius Bar” and they will help you fix it. That’s why Macintosh users like Apple, their Apple Stores and the Genius Bar... :-)
You said — The startup time for iTunes several times that of Windows Media Player, Real Player, or Rhapsody. That’s the hallmark of a memory hog. Other software runs distinctly slower when iTunes is running compared to the same software and any other player I’ve used. I haven’t noticed it as much since upgrading my computer, but that still doesn’t disqualify it’s poor memory performance.
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I mentioned this before, about the improvements in software that Apple always makes and on a fairly consistent basis. Apple includes more features and it constantly improves what is already there. That’s one of the things that I like about Apple. They don’t let their software sit there and simply “idle” and never go anywhere. They are always working on it to improve it.
Now, the problem that people have with computers and software is something that goes “across the board” — in that newer computers have more horsepower and more space on hard drives and more RAM for various program operations. Those computers are getting more complex all the time and the software is getting more complex all the time.
For a company that hardly ever improves its software, it may not be noticed that someone is using an older machine, basically because they hardly improve the software. But for companies that always make it better, add features and make the software more powerful, you notice quickly that older machines can’t keep up.
So, it would appear that the companies that hardly ever improve their software have an advantage when running on older machines... but who really wants older machines... LOL... (and who wants companies who hardly improve their software?).
What *you have* as “criteria” is that if a software maker/designer never make their software better and more powerful, able to more things — then — they are “more efficient” — LOL...
And if you have a software maker/designer who adds features and more capability to their software to keep ahead of the market — then they are “inefficient” ... :-)
Ummm..., I don’t think you gain marketshare that way... :-)
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Of course, if someone really wants “more efficient” software in the manner described, all they have to do is stay with the version of software that was in place when that computer was new, and just don’t ‘upgrade” the software from then on. You’ll have the “most efficient software” around, then... LOL...
You said — Every time I search for anything in iTunes (music, album art, music licenses, whatever) the program sends me to the iTunes store and tries to sell me something I’m not interested in. Every time.
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Ummm..., I’m not sure if you realize what you’re saying. Or perhaps I’m not understanding you completely...
Now, there is an “iTunes Store” and then there is an “iTunes program” that you use to play music and keep your music organized and so on.
I’ve never had the iTunes program” take me to web pages and/or other sites and/or try to “sell me anything”... It just does not happen.
HOWEVER, when I “walk into a store” — I do see “for sale” signs on the shelves, and I do see items that say “buy me now” as I walk down the aisles of the store.
I doubt if I went up to the manager and complained to the store manager that every time I “walked into his store” that he always had “for sale signs” staring me in the face — that he would think I was a “sane person”... LOL...
When you walk into a “store” you’re going to get “for sale signs”. If you don’t want them, simply don’t walk into a store. It’s that simple.
You can use your iTunes program everyday and never see a for sale sign or be asked to buy anything, as long as you don’t “walk into a store”. You use it just like any other music catalog and organization program that plays your music and you’re just fine.
BUT, to hear someone complain that they have “for sale signs” staring them in the face, when they “walk into a store” is sorta funny... if not “certifiable”.... LOL...