iPod Library Management for Vista64 - Alternatives?

DampCat

DampCat

DampCat

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Hey guys.

I'm after lightweight, simple alternatives to iTunes to manage my iPod Touch library. I understand iTunes is useful for updates but i have no need for access to the iTunes store, and I just can't get to grips with how fiddly and clumsy iTunes is.

I've just had a look at Songbird (i heart mozilla) which seem spretty decent. What else can your recommend? I don't need a media player built in as i use foobar, but it doesnt matter if it comes with a media player.

Many thanks!
 
was going to say songbird

personally i wouldn't touch any mp3 player that can't do mass storage drag and drop, but that's just me
 
Apparently iPod support in songbird is still pretty flakey. I'll give it a go and see how it works out, although hopefully we'll get some more suggestions.

The iPod was a present, and was a much needed replacement for my very old Creative Zen Touch that has seen way too many rocks and pavements ;) Drag and Drop would be lovely, but i'm sure there must be a piece of software out there that makes using one semi-pain free.
 
bledd. said:
winamp can do it too iirc
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Yep out of the box so to speak or by using the ml iPod plugin.

http://mlipod.sourceforge.net/

However it might be better to get used to iTunes, I've read several articles online each saying that Apple are making it harder for non-Apple media players to be able to work with new iPods. So your current iPod might work with third-party progs but future ones won't. Some people will switch to iTunes as a result, some will hope that Winamp or the ml iPod plugin will still be worked on, others might just give up on iPods and move to another MP3 player.
 
Thanks guys.

To be honest i'm the kind of guy who will keep one MP3 player for 5 or 6 years so I don't have to worry about future iPods being restricted to iTunes. If the firmware updates change the current ability to use 3rd party, then i guess i'll have to switch back, but until then i'll take the alternatives i can get :)

thanks again, i'll try Anapod, Songbird and Winamp and see how i get on :)
 
DampCat said:
If the firmware updates change the current ability to use 3rd party, then i guess i'll have to switch back, but until then i'll take the alternatives i can get :)
Click to expand...
Urgh! That reminds me that I can't get updated iPod firmware without installing iTunes. :( I can't even find out if there's been a new version released without iTunes. :mad:
 
Songbird eh? Looks...exactly like iTunes :p.

Songbird supports MP3, FLAC, and Vorbis on all platforms; WMA and WMA DRM on Windows; and AAC and Fairplay on Windows and Mac.
Click to expand...
/faints

Wowzer.

Still, if only winamp 2.81 had a decent media library..
 
^^ winamp 5 lite with classic skin basically is 2.81

took me ages to switch (because 3 was so poor), winamp 5 lite has a media library too (i don't use it though)
 
Yeah i think i'm going to start off with Songbird when i get in tonight, just because i've done so well with Mozilla Shizzle before. The add-onns thing is what's selling it to me at the moment.
 
Anapod is my preferred program, but it doesn't work with an ipod touch.

[edit] Anapod 9.0.6 doesn't work with Vista 64 HP either
 
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MediaMonkey personally because it does everything and more than songbird :) Its extensibility right now is far more mature. Although if songbird takes off properly with the right community (like MediaMonkeys) then it has a lot of potential.
 
I'll add MediaMonkey to the list.

I've installed Songbird and initial impressions are good. I've yet to actually sync it to my iPod since i ran out of time before i had to leave for work, but as far as management goes it's pretty slick. Faster than iTunes and less.... clunky?

Songbird 1.0 has just been released in the last few days, so as yet there aren't many addons that are compatible with it. There are loads that look like they were great for versions 0.80 and under, so once they've been updated (seems to be every month for most of *** writers) it should be back on track.

Once Songbird picks up pace also, we'll probably start to see more addons made avaliable and updated more frequently, such is the mozilla community.

So looking good, then.

I'll be back tonight with Syncing news and i'll probably try out the others also.

Thanks guys.
 
Winamp v5 with mlipod.dll (much better than the out of the box plugin!!)..

Works seamlessly every time!!
 
Does your iPod Touch have firmware version 2.x? IIRC there's no software apart from iTunes that currently works with iTouch / iPhone with 2.0 or later firmware installed. Apple changed the encryption method and nobody's figured out how to hack it yet.
 
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