Itunes Genius

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 19:50

hey who else has downloaded itunes 8? I dont like how all the music is now arranged in pictures but il get used to it

what i wanted to know is what people think of the new genius feature? what do you think of it and what information gets sent and stored by apple?

Rugby Rose · 15/09/08 - 19:53

I had the option earlier... should I avoid it? What do you mean, arranged by pictures? What's this Genius feature?

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 19:58

!J! wrote: »

hey who else has downloaded itunes 8? I dont like how all the music is now arranged in pictures but il get used to it

what i wanted to know is what people think of the new genius feature? what do you think of it and what information gets sent and stored by apple?

You can change the 'view' to list (top of the screen third from the left, drop down & tick 'as list').... I did this morning as soon as I downloaded version 8.

Havent had a chance to play around with Genius yet though...

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 19:59

Rugby Rose wrote: »

I had the option earlier... should I avoid it? What do you mean, arranged by pictures? What's this Genius feature?

It just used to be a big list didn't it? now it is arranged in blocks with the artwork and you clikc on that to get a list of the songs by the artist

genius is the new playlist on itunes it makes playlists for you based on songs that would go well together and think it recomends songs you woul like

i was just wondering what people thought of it

oh thanks didn't realise you could change it back i might see if i can get used to it

warmleatherette · 15/09/08 - 20:05

Cover flow is the best thing since sliced bread.. my gripe with MP3 (Apart from the sound quality) has always been that you don't get the "on the shelf" experience as you do with real Cd's, cover flow has almost filled my desire (All it needs is to be able to look at the back of the cover too

)

Its quite fulfilling to find covers for stuff you have "aquired" too.

jimjohn63 · 15/09/08 - 20:07

when it says it will send apple information about your library, what does that mean? could they see downloads that were not legit?...not that i've got any mind!!

warmleatherette · 15/09/08 - 20:09

jimjohn63 wrote: »

when it says it will send apple information about your library, what does that mean? could they see downloads that were not legit?...not that i've got any mind!!

How would they know if you hadn't ripped them yourself legally?

Rugby Rose · 15/09/08 - 20:09

Thanks, the Genius sounds good. The sorting by pictures was just the option that was already there then and you can change it back. The cover flow is good, which I could do that on the iPod, you can on the new version of the Nano apparently.

Going to go and download 8 then...

Oooh hold up - I don't want to send Apple any information. What's that about?

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:10

warmleatherette wrote: »

Cover flow is the best thing since sliced bread.. my gripe with MP3 (Apart from the sound quality) has always been that you don't get the "on the shelf" experience as you do with real Cd's, cover flow has almost filled my desire (All it needs is to be able to look at the back of the cover too )
Its quite fulfilling to find covers for stuff you have "aquired" too.

That was my gripe & why I reverted so quickly to list view... but when I have more time I'll have a play around & see if it'll work for me.

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:10

jimjohn63 wrote: »

when it says it will send apple information about your library, what does that mean? could they see downloads that were not legit?...not that i've got any mind!!

I was thinking that... it says it stores info on track names, your rating and what is on your lib and think the media types

but it says that it is not stored against your account but you have to have an account and log in to turn genius on

warmleatherette · 15/09/08 - 20:12

the ravenous priest wrote: »

That was my gripe & why I reverted so quickly to list view... but when I have more time I'll have a play around & see if it'll work for me.

I have mine half and half, with the covers at the top and the list at the bottom, when you click on a cover the list moves to that album.

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:18

I got it and didn't like the new list either, so just changed back to the album cover flip thing.

Don't think I'll be using this 'genius' thing. Just another way for Apple to try and fleece you of all spare cash - the obvious clue being that it won't work with songs by an artist they don't sell!

“Are you SURE you don't want to complete all your albums for only £215.60?... how about an overpriced iPod accessory?”

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:31

The Chief wrote: »

I got it and didn't like the new list either, so just changed back to the album cover flip thing.

Don't think I'll be using this 'genius' thing. Just another way for Apple to try and fleece you of all spare cash - the obvious clue being that it won't work with songs by an artist they don't sell!

“Are you SURE you don't want to complete all your albums for only £215.60?... how about an overpriced iPod accessory?”

Exactly - I avoid iTunes like the plague if I've had a drink. I used to get email receipts mid week for tracks I'd no memory of even hearing let alone downloading...

I had this conversation with a friend who regularily falls for the old 'drunken customers browsing iTunes at 3am & who bought this, also bought this....' malarkey & before he knew it was spending £20 a go...

Rugby Rose · 15/09/08 - 20:34

the ravenous priest wrote: »

Exactly - I avoid iTunes like the plague if I've had a drink. I used to get email receipts mid week for tracks I'd no memory of even hearing let alone downloading...

I had this conversation with a friend who regularily falls for the old 'drunken customers browsing iTunes at 3am & who bought this, also bought this....' malarkey & before he knew it was spending £20 a go...

And that would be Apple's fault, why exactly?

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:37

I don't drink and recent posts on DS are a great advert for not drinking alcohol!

You have people spending £20 on music they'll never listen to when sober and sending people text messages they would never dare to if they weren't drunk e.t.c

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:37

^ well......

Its just that they package it all up so damn well.... they make you feel like you have to buy it... I mean everyone else did, right?...........

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:40

the ravenous priest wrote: »

Exactly - I avoid iTunes like the plague if I've had a drink. I used to get email receipts mid week for tracks I'd no memory of even hearing let alone downloading...

I had this conversation with a friend who regularily falls for the old 'drunken customers browsing iTunes at 3am & who bought this, also bought this....' malarkey & before he knew it was spending £20 a go...

I know exactly what you mean.
I was listening to Jo Whiley once and she was talking about getting drunk and buying off iTunes... I thought 'so it's not just me then!'. Certainly don't need a little thing nagging me to buy even more - hence I turned it off straight away.

I only ever buy single tracks off iTunes. If I want an album I'll get it off Amazon - far cheaper. £20 in one go on iTunes is a bit much!! :eek:

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:45

so will it be able to tell how you acquired all your music?

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 20:56

!J! wrote: »

so will it be able to tell how you acquired all your music?

I wouldn't have thought so, how could it?
How would it know whether my imported CD was bought from a shop or copied from a mates?

If you want to make sure, you should check the terms and conditions you agreed to when you installed it. Either that or just turn it off like I did... as I say, it's only there to make money off you.

CAMERA OBSCURA · 15/09/08 - 21:11

I think the genius option is a nice little thing.

It can create some nice a varied playlists from your existing songs, I'm not sure where the 'only to make more money from you' comes into it, if it is using your existing tunes.

I've only purchased a few single songs from itunes the rest is my Cd collection so Genius doesn't seem to have a problem with that.

The only new feature I would like to see is the ability for the ipod to remember where it is in a full ipod shuffle. So it would be nice to have it on full shuffle, then say if I went into a playlist listened to that when i come out of it I would like to be able to carry on with the full ipod shuffle where it left off.

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 21:32

curiosity got the better of me and ive turned genius on im not impressed at mo ok it can make some ok playlists but on the side it says top songs im missing and im like i HAVE those songs but i did not buy it from itunes. like disturbia by rihanna i clicked on and it would not make a playlist because it did not recognize it and then while playing genius recomends rihanna disturbia album wtf?
and from soul tracks it comes up with garage in a playlist

i think it will be good in a few months

[Deleted User] · 15/09/08 - 21:38

CAMERA OBSCURA wrote: »

I think the genius option is a nice little thing.

It can create some nice a varied playlists from your existing songs, I'm not sure where the 'only to make more money from you' comes into it, if it is using your existing tunes.

When I had it turned on, it was basically a sidebar full of the same old "If you like this..." crap, using your current library to try and find similar music for you to buy. Some of them are songs I already have anyway, others just seem irrelevant.

As for the Genius playlists... well as I say, load up some songs onto your iTunes which are not sold by Apple's store (AC/DC for example).
Genius doesn't want anything to do with them and refuses to make a playlist, which is a bit of a giveaway.

MayhemMiller · 15/09/08 - 21:49

Rugby Rose wrote: »

And that would be Apple's fault, why exactly?

Some of us prefer our music playing software to do just that, without trying to be a salesman at the same time.

frasera · 15/09/08 - 22:32

!J! wrote: »

curiosity got the better of me and ive turned genius on im not impressed at mo ok it can make some ok playlists but on the side it says top songs im missing and im like i HAVE those songs but i did not buy it from itunes. like disturbia by rihanna i clicked on and it would not make a playlist because it did not recognize it and then while playing genius recomends rihanna disturbia album wtf?
and from soul tracks it comes up with garage in a playlist

i think it will be good in a few months

are your files tagged correctly?

Rugby Rose · 15/09/08 - 23:04

Well, I've downloaded it and I have to say I like the new album cover list, although I've spent the last 2 hours filling in album cover gaps.

Isn't this Genius just advertising music you haven't got? I can't see playlists anywhere which is the only reason I'd bother. It's a pile of poo as far as I can see...just purely advertising. Will be very easy to purchase stuff by accident having had a few, I can see that. How do you do playlists then?

Have to say I am not guilty of downloading from iTunes when drunk although I am fairly lethal with texts.

What the iTunes purchasing drunks will have to do is demand Amazon prove it was you and provide photographic evidence of you sitting in front of the pc at the time like the speed cameras.

Rugby Rose · 15/09/08 - 23:08

Oooh found the playlist feature and it failed the first hurdle. No way in a million years would I have put Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go Go with Muse's Invincible. Nor U2's City of Blinding Lights with Simon and Garfunkel's the Sound of Silence and the list is goes on...

Verdict: It's rubbish. It's just advertising in addition to a false claim it can select decent playlists from your own music - it's totally random obviously, may aswell just press shuffle. I'm removing Genius.

Hey there!

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