Apple Launches iTunes Beta with iCloud Support

[exfileme]

Apple has launched the iTunes 10.3 beta supporting its new iCloud service, announced on Monday.

Apple Launches iTunes Beta with iCloud Support : Read more

 

[Ragnar-Kon]

Being a Mac developer, I actually got to have some hands-on experience with this new iCloud thing at WWDC. I must say it is pretty slick BUT it isn't without its flaws.

1. Not sure why they didn't make this available on their CDMA iPhone 4, but thats stupid.
2. It auto-syncs even when you are not connected to WiFi. In other words, you use your cell phone provider's data-plan without really knowing it.
3. So far the only use I have found is if you have multiple Apple devices. If you don't, its fairly pointless.

Honestly, I don't see myself using this, and I don't have every Apple gadget known to man (actually I don't have any Apple gadgets...only a single Macbook Pro). The biggest eye-popper for me was the $25/year 256kbps DRM-FREE (was shocked there was no DRM) music upgrade for my old CDs. Beyond that, nothing special unless your an Apple guru.

 

[eddieroolz]

I'm amazed people still use iTunes. That piece of crud hasn't been on my PC in 5 years.

 

[stonedatheist]

And yet they still don't bother with multithreading. Tsk tsk

 

[ericburnby]

[citation][nom]Ragnar-Kon[/nom]Being a Mac developer, I actually got to have some hands-on experience with this new iCloud thing at WWDC. I must say it is pretty slick BUT it isn't without its flaws.1. Not sure why they didn't make this available on their CDMA iPhone 4, but thats stupid.2. It auto-syncs even when you are not connected to WiFi. In other words, you use your cell phone provider's data-plan without really knowing it.3. So far the only use I have found is if you have multiple Apple devices. If you don't, its fairly pointless.Honestly, I don't see myself using this, and I don't have every Apple gadget known to man (actually I don't have any Apple gadgets...only a single Macbook Pro). The biggest eye-popper for me was the $25/year 256kbps DRM-FREE (was shocked there was no DRM) music upgrade for my old CDs. Beyond that, nothing special unless your an Apple guru.[/citation]

Nothing to do with being an Apple guru. You could say the same thing about any cloud service. If you're a single user with no other devices then all the cloud becomes is an online backup service. There's no point in even using a cloud service unless you have multiple devices and people using them.

I'm also at WWDC and I see huge potential in this. I'm a strict PC guy and only bought a Mac to develop iOS tablet apps. I've never even considered the idea that I might one day give up PC's and switch to Macs, but seeing how simple this is for my family I might actually make the jump and convert the family over to Macs. I'm sick of all the "maintenance" and upkeep I now require with our Windows PC's, and nobody in my family does anything critical that couldn't be done on a Mac, PC or even a tablet.

Of course, I'll still keep my PC gaming rig. Not about to give up gaming.

 

[husker]

"According to Apple, this pay service is unlike Amazon and Google's offering, as it will match the externally purchased or ripped music with the identical songs stored on Apple's servers."

How do they verify that these songs were legally purchased?

 

[soo-nah-mee]

[citation][nom]husker[/nom]How do they verify that these songs were legally purchased?[/citation]
Good question. On the surface it sounds like it's the honor system, but just saying that sounds ridiculous.

 

[Guest]

They made a deal with the record labels. The labels get paid by Apple out of the $25 a yr fee. By using the service they convert your bootlegs into valid copies. The labels get a small percentage, which is better than nothing. Apple profits, and you get a higher bitrate copy and the cloud services.

 

[soo-nah-mee]

[citation][nom]macrogeek[/nom]They made a deal with the record labels. The labels get paid by Apple out of the $25 a yr fee. By using the service they convert your bootlegs into valid copies. The labels get a small percentage, which is better than nothing. Apple profits, and you get a higher bitrate copy and the cloud services.[/citation]Well that sounds like win-win-win, but do you have a source for that info or is it just speculation?
I don't mean to be a prick, I just want to be sure, that's all. I have a friend who has a few bootleg albums so I want him to be well informed.
If that really is the case, I will gladly pay the $25 per year.

 

[ericburnby]

They can't tell if it's a bootleg, ripped from your own CD or ripped from a CD you rented. In other words, it's like Amnesty for your pirated music. They're being careful not to call it that, but essentially that's what it is.

Record companies can get zero $$$ from all the illegal downloaders, or they can get a chunk of that $25 per year. Multiply that by millions of users and that's a significant source of revenue for the labels that didn't exist before. It almost makes the labels look like good guys for once, instead of money hungry assholes that sue grandmothers for distributing music.

 

[del35]

"I'm amazed people still use iTunes. That piece of crud hasn't been on my PC in 5 years."

There are still lots of dumb people out there. How else would iCrapple thrive?

 

[fir_ser]

Apple’s iCloud should have more imprecations than just music.