What are your thoughts on the New iTunes 11?

Muppet_man wrote:

I'm wondering if it is possible to install it on the system under a different user login so I can update my phone etc on the new version and then use the proper version (10.7) for it's far greater usability and coverflow?

No. There's only one iTunes version per boot disk, and all users share it.

However- you can partition a disk (or run multiple disks), and maintain different iTunes versions by booting from different systems. That's what I'm doing. I described it in September:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4554044

It works like this:

* Boot from a different (temporary) hard disk volume, which has iTunes 11.1 on it.

* Copy over my active iTunes library file ("itunes library.itl" from iTunes v.10.7) to the proper location in the iTunes folder on the temporary boot disk.

* Launch iTunes (11.1) on the temporary boot disk, which then quickly converts the library for use with iTunes 11.1.

* Use/sync iPhone & iPad with iOS 7.

* Go back to using my main hard disk, which still has iTunes 10.7

Note that every time I want to sync my iOS 7 devices, I'll have to boot from the temporary hard disk, replace its iTunes library with the current iTunes library from my main hard disk, and have it converted once more for iTunes 11.1. But I only sync a couple times a week, and this is a price I'm willing to pay in order to be able to manage my cover art.

Note: for sync to work, the iTunes library on the temporary hard disk has to point to your real iTunes music folder, which is probably on your main hard disk. To get around this, I made a symbolic link (use something like this:http://www.macworld.com/article/1144680/symboliclinker.html ) to the "real" music folder. There are probably more ways to do this, too.

I wish cover flow was the only problem. I lost, vanished from my hard drive, half of my songs when I installed 11.1

Kim Hill1 wrote:

Note: for sync to work, the iTunes library on the temporary hard disk has to point to your real iTunes music folder, which is probably on your main hard disk. To get around this, I made a symbolic link (use something like this:http://www.macworld.com/article/1144680/symboliclinker.html ) to the "real" music folder. There are probably more ways to do this, too.

My iPhone will sync to copies of my iTunes library on a different Mac as if it was my reguar computer.

I back up my iTunes 10.7 library to an external hard drive. Hold down "option" when you launch iTunes 11.x, it will ask you to choose your library - direct it to the external hard drive. It'll convert it to iTunes 11, rendering it unreadable by iTunes 10 - so be very careful you don't let iTunes 11 open your main iTunes 10 library. The iPhone will sync as normal.

When I sync my iPhone, it doesn't distinguish whether the library is 10 or 11, it's

I hate iTunes 11 !!! Hopefully, I can find one of my backups that still contains a copy of iTunes 10.7, As for my iPhone and iPad, it seems I'm now stuck with OS7, since Apple has removed the ability to get rid of this abomination. Time to check out what the competition has to offer. Anyone have suggestions?

My first Apple product was the Apple IIe, and though I didn't use Apple computers exclusively until the mid 90s, I always purchased the latest products when they were released. It's now been four years since I've purchased a new Mac and it will most surely be longer than that before I buy another. I recently made the begrudging upgrade (?) from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion... not because I wanted to, but because that was the only way I could run the latest version of the X-Code in order to start developing some iApps.

But the recent changes that Apple has made recarding local storage of data within Apps (to accommodate iCloud), has rendered too many of the iPad and iPhone apps I've purchased to be virtually useless (and in some cases totally useless). So I've now decided not even to waste my time developing iApps, but instead use HTML5, CSS3, jQuery and PhoneGap to convert my code to Android apps instead. I've spent many years recommending Apple products to friends, customers and fellow developers. No longer. Apple has made too many changes that discregard user's wishes... this time in support of selling iCloud space. The worst changes have come about in the past 2 years (I wonder why?)

I fully expect this post to disappear. If and when it does, I'll create yet another site to share user viewpoints... one that isn't controlled by "Big Brother". If you've been usin Apple products as long as I have, you will surely remember the launch of the first Macintosh in a commercial that aired at Super Bowl 1984. And you will proably also remember that it was based on the book "1984" by George Orwell", and the phrase "Big Brother's Watchin". The final line of the ad was "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984". Perhaps not. But is seems that they were saving this phenomenum for 2014, when Big Brother watches down from the iClouds.

I just point it there in iTunes Prefs.

If iTunes 11 would allow me to sync my iPhone 4s and 3GS, I would think it was ok. But I have been working with Apple Care Senior advisors for 2 weeks and we still can not make it work.

Update (6.1.3) and iTunes 10.7 is the place to be and the home for me. That's where I stay!

WebbWebs, I sadly concur... and was just expressing similar sentiments just last night, while on the line with an Apple tech (who lately seem to know much less about my computer's workings than I do)... Recent changes in various programs have made no sense, were steps backwards, and have certainly not enhanced the use by Apple's customers, especially those of us who've been around for many years, and remember past days being much less frustrating & exasperating....

verbcrunch wrote:

... When I sync my iPhone, it doesn't distinguish whether the library is 10 or 11, it's

Not sure what was going to come next but in case it hasn't been mentioned elsewhere iOS 7 requires iTunes 11.1 or later to sync, so if you plan to stick with iTunes 10.7 don't upgrade iOS.

tt2

In response to pegaudet:

You can still select list view in smart playlists, then enable column browser under view menu and display the genres. Right click on columns for additional options.

One of the issues with iTunes 11 is that it continued to implement previous functionality in different locations and often slimmed down that are not necessarily intuitive and easy to find, and while some new functionality is explained in iTunes Help and Apple Knowledge Base documents, some of it was released with little warning -- like the updates to syncing podcasts and devices and the deletions of old podcasts. But how many users read use instructions after software updates of programs that they have been using for years unless there is a big WARNING message displayed prior to its use stating the changes and potential consequences.

I am not syncing iPhones, iPads or use iTunes in the Cloud, there are still issues when trying to use multiple devices and keeping them up-to-date. This is very frustrating for its users as this process used to be simple, easy and intuitive -- words that were used in the past when working with Apple products.

iTunes has evolved from being an excellent music player and music library manager to a jack-of-all-trade MultimediaLibraryStreamingSyncingiTunesStoreOneStopDoItAll program that wants to be your Go-to webportal.

While a lot of useful features have been removed - multiple windows (why?), cover flow, etc. - there are also new features that were implemented that I find useful and intuitive that have been given little attention. Nevertheless, in some ways iTunes 11 does feel like a beta release typically sent out to testers to find bugs and provide feedback. But iTunes needed to be updated to implement the changes for the new iPhone and iOS7.

I also use Applescripts frequently to manage certain aspects of the iTunes library. Some of them certainly should have been included in iTunes in the first place, but there are quite a few that add functionality that will save you lots of time for tedious tasks.

My biggest complaint: Apple needs to provide an easy to use built-in uninstall function! And... automatically back up the iTunes library files before version updates (this feature used to be performed automatically but was removed) so unhappy users can easily downgrade. And never auto delete actual files from the hard drive as it happened with the latest updates when the box was checked in podcasts to "keep all devices synchronized" and older podcasts were erased.

If they would put a simple descriptive list of changes at the beginning, with links to the details, then users might read it.

Then put all the legalese boiler plate after that, they want, but after trying to read the nondescript boiler plate once, you will never do it again.

Not that I am usually brief and to the point, I'm usually verbose, but it took an act of will to read through your post.

Things I hate about iTunes 11.

The forward and back buttons are now gone when editing songs. This means you can no longer move through a list of songs one by one and tweak their data. You have to remember where you were in a song list and relocate the next file when you go to edit the next song in the list.

When switching between iTunes media (music, movies, books, etc) and a device (iPhone, ipad) iTunes now also forgets your place in the media library list. So if you were comparing the content in your library to the content on a device you have to relocate your place every time you switch back and forth.

Book genres are now gone. No way to organize by genera, and Books and PDFs are now filed separately even though they are both really books. So a PDF mystery book and iTunes mystery book are now in separate categories by there file type. That goes against Apples tenant of tailoring the software to the users comprehensive experience.

In the List area of TV shows now show every piece of junk I ever downloaded. You can't rent TV shows, you must buy them, so… junk I bought to view only once is now permanently part of my virtual library.

Download cue showing progress of downloads or iDevice syncing can no longer monitored via the min-player while doing other work.

If you have listened to a song or watched a movie the status window will show the info for that song. When you stop or pause the player the song info won't clear what was last played last. iTunes it used to show all background activities letting you monitor what was happening. So if you what to see the progress of an activity you have to close and restart iTunes.

and lastly… aesthetic look and feel.

The experience of visually browsing is gone. Album art is now small… no cover flow… why bother. I feel way less emotional about my music now. All the backgrounds are boring white and the cool drama is completely gone. it is a database not an experience.

Very unimpressed….

Well said. I just boiled it down to "ergonomics suck" but your right on every point. 😉 I reverted back to 10.7. Im not upgrading to iOS 7. I am looking for a new media player. iTunes is a Windows Media Clone now, not a compliment!

wow!!,

I apologize for my narrow minded comment earlier, 😐

but i`m glad it helped trigger a 2ndry wave of passionate outcrys showing the fervour of Apple users.

indeed there`s a lot here thats missing,

(kinda how I felt aout FCPX with certain things).

WebbWebs wrote:

"On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984". Perhaps not. But is seems that they were saving this phenomenum for 2014, when Big Brother watches down from the iClouds.

Nice... well put and thank you!

I see that Apple just wants whats best for us, and since they are the ones who know what that is, well.... what's the problem?!?!

My POV is that these massive, long running threads about iTunes 11 is not just about loss of coverflow, or the loss of multiple ways that we could work with, organize and label our media... ie our own personal relationship with it... and my relationship to music is very deep and plugging in my iPhone to the aux input in the car is only one small facet of my own interaction with music... it's about Apple and the whole IT industry taking us in a direction some of us don't want to go...

Who decided this direction? Who is the decider? Money is the decider. It is with nearly everything. The iCloud must be rotten with $$$$$.... The second an IT company develops a viable alternative to iTunes, I will give them mine, money that is. Apple got a pretty good chunk of mine, I am the father of four young adult kids and when I discovered iTunes in the early 2000's, they did too, and the landscape around here has ample evidence of our love affair with Apple....

That affair is ending. Sadly.

Thanks, MacPow75.

As I came back to this page to respond to your comment, my login had expired, so I clicked the link to log in again. Unfortunately, after loggin in, I was left sitting there, rather than being automatically redirected back to the blog page from whence I clicked the login link (this page). Are you seeing a trend here? Remember when Apple made the most intuitive products around? I wonder for whom these product managers and developers work today.

I think you'll find that the vast majority of all negative changes in the various hardware and software products are either directly or indirectly related to either iCloud or iTunes Store or App Store, as these products and infrastructures have opened up a seemingly endless avenue for revenue. While I do use the App Store, I would never use iCloud and seldom use the iTunes Store other than to purchase apps. I will probably stop purchasing apps, since I seem to have diminishing capablity to control auto-updates. I recently lost several hundred dollars worth of Navionics marine navigation apps, when they were disabled due to iOS7 updates. After Navionics disabled my apps with an auto-update, their solution was that I could PURCHASE new copies of each (at about $60/app). This, of course made for a great deal of new revenue potential for Navionics. (But not from me!)

I'm preparing my sailboat for a circumnavigation. Prior to my departure, I had plans to upgrade my iPad, MacBook Pro and iPhone to the current top-of-the-line models. I had been anxiously awaiting the release of an iPad Mini with a Retina display, before doing so. But the recent changes regarding the Navionics apps and the apparent direction that Apple is taking to tie everything to iCloud, I have changed my plans entirely. New new iPad, iPhone or MacBook for me. I will be doing the painful migration back to Snow Leopard on my MacBook Pro and do my best to figure out a way to return to iTunes 10.7 (all I can find is 10.6 in my backups). I'll keep my iPad 1 as a backup GPS medium and try to restore the old version of my Navionics app, since it runs under iOS 5. I guess I'm out of luck on my iPhone since there appears to be NO way to return to iOS 6. I could check out what the others have to offer, but once I get offshore, phone connectivity makes this somewhat of a non-issue.

Presumably, these changes were due to Apple's directive that large sets of data (like navigation charts) could no longer be stored within an app, as this promotes bottlenecks for the daily backups to the iCloud (for those users naive enough to do so). While these decisions may make Apple billions of new income, they lost a good deal of new revenue from me. I'm sure, however, that they really don't care about my piddly purchases... or, apparently yours, for that matter ;-(