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Where's the Power Search in iTunes 11?

You used to be able to search by Category, Title, Name, Description, etc., now, it's a cluster. Steve Jobs, we miss you, your user-friendly interface people have no clue!!!!

Posted on Dec 2, 2012 9:15 AM

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99 replies

Aug 28, 2018 1:13 PM in response to scontreau

I delayed "upgrading" iTunes as long as possible - even when i was getting some error message of a missing component - untill I had to in order to download. Sure enough, as I have experienced with previous Apple "upgrades", 11 is a downgrade. The first, and most significant "change" is no POWER SEARCH. I can only think that the superior thinking that would invoke any process that inhibits a user from searching for a specific product is to, essentially, FORCE to to wade through all the other crap you're not even looking for. If Apple thinks they will make a few pennys with this business tactic (i.e. "Newstand") they'll ram it down your throats. The other possibility is that they are, sincerely, inept.

I tried to find a simple song name (one word, only info i have), and of course, got the phone book. Only listing 500 results limited the alphabetical listing to only the "C"'s. The thing that's hard to fathom is that they didnt consider this basic data in the "upgrade". They did. Everything has a $ motive. I only own a 3GS, and came dangerously close to going with a MacBook a few months ago. This iTunes downgrade is the straw that has opened my eyes to moving me to other venues. Apple is living up to their "original sin" logo.

Dec 4, 2012 12:28 PM in response to Tbuster

Fully agree - iTunes 11 is terrible!


The previous version was not broke so I find it very annoying it was changed in such a drastic manner.


The previous version was reasonably well laid out with most everything readily visible so it was intuitively obvious with minimal clicks to do whatever one wanted. Now, everything is hid somewhere so it is necessary to relearn (completely unnecessary time and effort) how to get to various features. In addition, more mouse clicks are now required to complete the same tasks.


I invariably used "Power Search" and it is gone. Dumb! Why? Because it was so useful?


Sure there is a new learning curve required now but why should this be necessary? My world does NOT revolve around Apple and I am more than ****** I now have to spend additional time to simply purchase music, make and manage my play lists, and even just see what I recently purchased.


All I just tried to do was search for and purchase a Christmas song we recently heard. It infuriates me this previously simple and quick task turned into a very annoying time consuming ordeal. Sure it will be quicker next time but it is still not as simple as it was previously. Nor is there justification for making me waste time at a computer to figure out how to use the new version when there was nothing wrong with the previous version.


Apple makes truly outstanding hardware. Although I have always resented the restrictions Apple places on me (such as not being able to buy a book from Kindle via the Kindle app - one of many examples) the almost overwhelming appeal of this great hardware has kept me as a customer. However, I am about at the end of my rope with Apple and this type of inane change for the sake of change may well be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Dec 4, 2012 1:02 PM in response to Barryng

Dont mean to be on a rant with the new version but I just discovered ITLU no longer works.


I convert everything we purchase from iTunes, rip from our CD collection, etc. to mp3 format. The mp3 files are all stored in a single folder located on a network drive (NAS) so the music is accessible to both my wife and I from our respective computers. This single folder contains our entire 25 Gb music collection. I delete all the m4a files as they serve no purpose and are not universally compatible. This provides maximum compatibility as my wife and I frequently burn custom CDs to use in our cars and they require mp3 files. We probably listen to much more music via these CDs in our cars than via our iPods or iPhones.


ITLU is a very useful app and essential app that updates iTunes so it knows what is in our music library. Simply pointing iTunes to the appropriate folder does not cause iTunes to know what is there and iTunes, for reasons I cannot understand, has no refresh function. Now, without ITLU being functional anymore, I am at a loss how to manage our music library as there is no easy and clean manner to refresh iTunes anymore.


Why does Apple alienate customers like this? Its not just that the new version renders a third party app unuasable, its because iTunes does not have a native function to refresh and the only available alternative now does not work.


I am indeed at the end of my rope with Apple now. This type of thing, in my mind, simply negates the truly great hardware they sell.

Dec 5, 2012 5:55 PM in response to Dergham

I just want to insert my 2 cents about the various comments lamenting the absence of Jobs.


Jobs was certainly a very talented and unique guy that clearly had golden instincts for marketing and product design. Nevertheless, Apple is still populated with a lot of exceptionally talented people and I think it would be naive to think Apple does anything, no matter how seemingly trivial, without having specific, calculated, self serving, reasons. I certainly do not know what their logic was but I am sure the lack of a simple refresh function, the deletion of power search, the removal of the API that rendered ITLU inoperable, the changes associated with the user interface, etc. all were with focused specific purposes. I strongly suspect that the overall purpose is, in one way or another, to severly limit the ability of users to readily transfer and/or manage their own music files and, by doing so, satisfy the paranoid needs of the music publishers relative to piracy etc. concerns.


I do not think anything would be different in this regard if Jobs still had his hands on the reins of Apple. Although I recognize and respect Apples need to protect the music and maintain reasonable contracts with the music publishers, these restrictions and limitations are seriously negating the value of their otherwise outstanding hardware. As a consumer, I want to be done with Apple because it is just too difficult to manage my music as I want to manage and store it. My wife and I just want to be able to reasonably easily use the music we perceive we own (we already paid for it via iTunes or CD purcahses).


Between our existing iPhones and iPods we will be stuck with Apple for sometime to come but my wife and I are certainly going to look hard at other hardware for all future purchases. For example, an iPhone 5 would require new cables, drop in charging stations, etc. so there really is no compelling reason to stay with the iPhone when we upgrade our current 4s devices. In fact, since the Andoid based devices use Apps that are not as tightly controlled as the Apps from Apple, there is probably a good reason, aside from anything else, to finally divorce ourselves from Apple.

Where's the Power Search in iTunes 11?

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