Apple iTunes Software Review

Overall Rating

iPod sync.

iTunes store is like having HMV in your own house.

Playlists are easy to create and manage.

Doesn't always retrieve CD information correctly, or at all, which means having to rip using Windows Media Player first and then importing into iTunes afterwards.

It needs to convert non-mp3 files (WMA format being prime example) to their AAC format first before it will play stuff in iTunes and then on iPod.

I think overall iTunes is just another great Apple product. I'm using the Windows version as I don't have an Apple Mac (yet). I never wanted to use iTunes it until I got an iPod Video 30GB and then for obvious reasons I had to install it. Being a Windows Media Player 11 user before, it was slightly different, but after getting used to the long list of songs rather than the nice Media Player way of organising my music collection and discovering the mode where you can scroll left and right through your albums, I was OK and must say that I actually like iTunes now.

That also is because it just does my iPod sync so well. Just plug in, set your sync options and then it does the trick every time! Furthermore I love having so much music at my fingertips with the iTunes store. A great new option is the 'complete my album'. I got some free songs of an album with a Coca Cola offer and was then able to purchase the other half of the album at discount rate. I've imported some of my videos and optimised them for iTunes/iPod ... again good experience there with iTunes.

Podcasts have obviously been a great improvement to digital life over recent years. Again I just love iTunes for its ease of use here. Subscribe once and the program does the rest, sync your iPod afterwards and then you have everything there with you on-the-go!

A few 'bad' points, bad really they are minor:

1. iTunes doesn't always retrieve CD information correctly, or at all sometimes (even for popular abums), which means having to rip the cd using Windows Media Player first and then importing into iTunes afterwards.

2. It needs to convert non-mp3 files (WMA format being prime example) to their AAC format first before it will play stuff in iTunes and then on iPod. This meant it took me (well, my pc) about 15 hours to convert all my WMA files first before they would work with iTunes/iPod. Suppose that is just a start off problem though.

Overall I would say iTunes is a really good program, mainly because it does exactly what I want it to do (and what I would think it is supposed to do) namely, managing and syncing music, podcasts and playlists in connection with an iPod.

Members' Comments onBlack Ghost 7's Review

• Anonymous101 on 6th Jul 2007

  Great review, Apple in my opinion are market leaders. Nice review, some great tips