Download iTunes to my PC??

Rocker

Do you guys think this is a good or a bad idea?  These days I always listen to music, stored as FLAC on my PC, but with the latest U2 album available on iTunes, this becomes another way to access new music.  Where [on the Cloud] are the files stored?  I downloaded the album to my iPad, the router indicated that files were being received by the iPad so where are they located on the iPad and how do I access them?

Thanks.

ICBM

They should be in the 'Music' (not iTunes, which is the Store) app on the iPad, but how you get them from there to your computer I'm not sure… I never do it that way round.

I hear a lot of people say that Tunes for PC is a massive pain in the backside too, but you probably need it or you won't be able to sync or back up your iPad.

Fretwired

I've used iTunes from day one and find it OK. A few tricks you have to learn but the iTunes community can help and there are plenty of add-ons. Apple are also launching a streaming service like Spotify which will run via iTunes.

richardhomer

Clearly this is why Apple have paid U2 an enormous amount of money, in order that more people will use their method of distribution to get the album for nothing.

It's very clever and in truth, no one's being forced into doing it - so I'm okay with the concept.

I now have the album on my PC, my phone and on the iPod in my car. I still haven't actually managed to listen to it yet though....

ICBM

I've also used it from the start. I must admit I don't understand the hate for it either - although initially I disliked a lot of the changes in iTunes 11 - but I'm using it on a Mac and I assumed the PC version must be worse. It does have some minor irritations but by and large it's intuitive and straightforward, if a bit limited. On the other hand I don't use most of the functions!

Ianpdq

If you want your computer taken over by Apple go for it

John_P

I use itunes as well -  always seemed like a simple way to organise music and send it to my phone etc.  I guess there must be other options but as it works fine I've never felt the need to look...

mart

Rocker said:

Do you guys think this is a good or a bad idea?  These days I always listen to music, stored as FLAC on my PC, but with the latest U2 album available on iTunes, this becomes another way to access new music.  Where [on the Cloud] are the files stored?  I downloaded the album to my iPad, the router indicated that files were being received by the iPad so where are they located on the iPad and how do I access them?

Thanks.

I suspect that this will need some trickery. 

On the Mac, Apple try to make it impossible to get stuff off an ipod or ipad and onto a desktop; everything is designed for the files to only flow the other way. 

There is a mechanism for apps to put files in a place on the ipad where you can then copy them to your computer, but most files for most apps are not accessible this way. 

Assuming the PC interface is similar, you'll need some way of going under the bonnet on the ipad to get at your files.

imalone

I use 7Digital basically as a download service, but they do streaming and cloud too, used to use Amazon and they do streaming, but 7Digital provide higher quality download and often lossless on more things, both offered linux support. iTunes don't, and I don't see much point in faffing around when there are alternatives.

sweepy

I would love someone to port Winamp to the Mac , some earlier updates for iTunes re-wrote your storage preferences and its lack of support for common lossless formats annoys me intensely

fretmeister

iTunes is more stable on Mac, but I use it on PC mainly and it's fine.

As with all things - back up your library.

You can rip lossless or at a variety of compression rates so there is plenty of choice depending on what you need at the time. 

Octahedron

When I first got into doing anything with music I remember using Windows Media Player. Now these days I have used iTunes exclusively, since getting an iPod Shuffle. Never looked back really. I just like the way iTunes organises everything. Manages my iDevices really well. Does every format pretty much. Don't need anything else and now my library is so big and organised it would be foolish to use anything else especially considering that I have to manage 2-3 iPhones from it and I've got a Mac now anyway haha. 

I did download the new U2 album. It hasn't changed my life significantly. I did listen to it once through. But I can't say I will be losing any sleep if I never hear it again.