Saturday, October 18, 2003
iTunes for Windows
"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. I know, I know, I know, I want you. I want you."
What can I say? Apple has released iTunes for Windows. And as I rapidly starting deploying it across numerous staff of clients, encouraging them to listen to music and enjoy work more, I had to wonder..."what it is about this application that keeps me obsessed?”
In all honesty iTunes and the iPod have been the two most influential pieces of technology on my life in the last year. The iPod, which return the joy of music to my work and play, an elegant solution that allowed me to tune in, tune out, and even use it as an emergency boot drive. Its stealth PDA functionality had me abandon my long-term relationship with my Palm, like it was a drunken one-night stand. I took my Palm out of my pocket, and never looked backed. Music, contacts, calendar, games, documents, and emergency repair tools for both the PC & the Mac. The world was my oyster.
But coupled with the iPod was this little application called iTunes. At first, it was just another media player. I used it when my iPod was connected. But then after 20 years of ignoring radio, iTunes introduced me to radio stations all over the world. I listen to songs from Paris (not comprehending a word, but loving the beat), the Netherlands, India, Africa, and ironically got addicted to Virgin UK Radio show, the morning show (for me) probably the early evening show in London, but I loved it nonetheless. Then the shuffle function became almost as good as the shuffle on the iPod, and then Smart Playlist, and just when I thought, this is all this app can do...Apple introduced the iTunes Music Store. Sigh. Have you every experienced something that makes you so happy that it has the ability to make you weep. That’s iTMS for me.
I love just browsing it. I hate overspending my budget, but I most love that as well, since I do so, week, after week, after week. I love catering to my impulses. I love controlling my impulses. Such a contradiction, maybe that’s why I am obsessed with it. Some Sunday, I’m doing laundry while watching VH1’s “I Love the 80s” and all of a sudden, I have to own Michael Jackson’s Beat It. Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield is a work of art that I must behold again. And through it all, iTMS is just there, and the moment is captured, satisfyingly. Other times, I’m reading a blog, and so and so recommends Rob Dougan’s Furious Angels, or Damien Rice’s O. Then I’m all Ms. Research girl, listening to each 30-second clip. Placing the albums in my shopping cart, as I visit web sites, collecting others opinions, before I venture forth. Both modes “want, take, have”, “read, collect, wait” are invigorating, and iTMS caters to them.
Now, iPod and iTunes fuel my life; when I’m washing dishes I’m screaming along with Queensryche, instead of being bored, I’m revisiting my love of dance, when rebuilding a hard drive, I need a pounding beat, when listening to a lecture drone on and own, I’m playing the Doves, David Gray, Starsailor, Tori Amos, Interpol, Elvis Costello or others. I’m overjoyed that others can, now share the application and gadget that brought such joy back to my life.
I know, I know, not all will appreciate them. Already, many Windows naysayers are popping up and putting out such utter rubbish. But I do care that, for the hundreds of Windows users that I support in their day-to-day work life, I can now recommend a media player for them, and encourage them to use it and take control of it. So I’m excited. And oddly looking forward to the next few months of user support, because I know for every “spool 32 error” or virus notification, I can also say, “hey, did I tell you about this great little application” and there’s a joy in that.
So cheers to Apple, iTunes, and the iTunes Music Store!
Footnotes
Other Details
Categories: Music •Personal •Technology •
Viewed: 633
Comments: 0
Permalink: http://www.wide-eyed.org/main/article/itunes_for_windows/
Comments
-
Sorry, no comments right now; but you could be the first.