Plugin For Winamp Allows Downloading From iPod

slicenglide writes "A newly released plugin for Winamp allows you to copy music from your iPod to your computer. Wired has picked up the story and includes a link to the WinAmp plugin page where you can grab yourself a copy. "

Comments

Wow, news to me

[Kazzahdrane]

I for one never realised that iPods wouldn't let you copy music *off* them. Thank god I never bought one, that would annoy the hell out of me.

Re:Wow, news to me

[PhilHibbs]

It supports open, industry standards like OGG Vorbis.

As much as I support OGG Vorbis, and have nearly all my music on my iRiver, I think calling it "industry standard" is way off the mark. MP3 is by far the most widely supported format, and therefore closest to being a de facto standard. The only other competitor is WAV.

Re:Wow, news to me

[mbbac]

It surprises no one because it isn't true.

Re:Wow, news to me

[Total_Wimp]

Three simple steps for adding new music to your iPod:
1: Import a CD or buy some songs in iTunes.
2: Plug in your iPod.
3: There's no step three.

See, that's the problem right there. You gotta have iTunes. Using Apple products really is easier if you use all the products they tell you to, when they tell you to use them. If you want to use anything else and it can quickly turn into a hassle.

This is simplicity in exactly the same way as "just us Internet Explorer and you wont have rendering or interoperability issues." If I don't give MS a pass on their version of "simplicity", why should I say it's ok for Apple?

Re:Wow, news to me

[Total_Wimp]

As I replied to the comment above yours, if it's not ok for Microsoft to lock you in then why should I consider it ok for Apple?

I just flat out dislike lock in. I have several different MP3 players in my house from several different manufactures. My daughter has an iPod and a previous generation no-name player. I have a Windows Smartphone and a PSP. Of all of them, the iPod is by far the biggest hassle to use because we just happened to be using different desktop music players before I bought the iPod.

Windows Media Player, WinAmp and MusicMatch all played pretty nicely together, mostly because none of them insisted on doing anything radical. But getting music onto and off of the MP3 players quickly became a hassle. The SmartPhone would only play ball with ActiveSync on a PC while the iPod refused to work with anything but iTunes. The ActiveSync wasn't a huge issue because it didn't necesitate I change my music player, but my daughter experienced all kinds frustration as she had to abandon the way she previously had her music organised and redo it all for iTunes.

The thing is, I don't want to use iTunes and neither does my daughter. That's not a crack on Apple or the fine people who developed iTunes, I just happen to like what I currently use. What is a crack on Apple is that they had, and IMHO still have the ability to make a portable player that's easy to use with any desktop player and they just refuse to do it. That doesn't make them evil, it just puts them on the same ethical level as Microsoft. If they're ok with that and you're ok with that then more power to you, but it's increasingly looking like this is the first and last iPod in my house unless Apple makes some changes.

TW

Re:Wow, news to me

[Simonetta]

Ipod wasn't really meant for ...It's meant for joe-six-pack.

I don't believe that anything from Apple Computer is meant for "Joe Six-Pack". It's made for "Megan and Justin Portfolio" - the generic upper-middle-class arts-creative-type person. They have the money to pay the premium Apple price, the ability to best use the advanced design and interface character of Apple products, the distaste for technical details, and the subtle contempt for those who would feel the need or desire to skirt the restrictions imposed by Apple for the benefit of the product/company/community/class. They truly believe that bypassing DRM is bad because they feel that they are or more likely, someday will be making their well-heeled living off high priced 'intellectual property'.

The "Joe SixPack" type middle-class Chevy-truck Saturday-night-watching-wrestling-on-TV people are using their Walmart CD players for portable music needs. They wouldn't buy Apple products even if they were in the same price range, simply because their inherent social inferiority complex alienates them from image that is created by Apple's advertisements.

Re:Wow, news to me

[recursiv]

Yeah, you got it all figured out. But what's this? I'll bet you'll be pretty confused by my case. I have and use an ipod, but keep it concealed. I replaced the headphones with normal crappy looking headphones. No one who sees me would know I have an ipod. If I don't want and don't let anyone know I have an ipod, it can't possibly be a status symbol, right?

So why do I have it? To listen to music. It works well. Previously, I purchased another mp3 player, only slightly cheaper, and had continuous problems with it. And even when it was working as intended, it was harder to use. The ipod is something like half the size and weight, easier to use, more reliable, and the support (which I used once) is vastly superior. Possibly the smoothest technical support experience I have ever had in my life.

Re:Wow, news to me

[Koiu Lpoi]

Click wheel. The engineering on it is beautiful.

Besides that, there are no real amazing things about it. But the click wheel was enough to sell me.

What bothers me, especially about the iPod, is the attitude people have of "I like this, so you and everyone should like it too!". If the iPod doesn't sit with you, don't buy it. And tell those people who tell you to buy one to shove it in a hole.

Re:Wow, news to me

[Total_Wimp]

Apple make the iPod and makes the software to run it.

MS doesn't own or make the Internet.

Or you could just reverse it and say:

MS makes the web server (IIS) the web development software (asp.net) the browser and the OS all these are run on.

Apple doesn't own or make the MP3 file format or any of the music that runs on their players.

I'm not actually suggesting this is a reasonable thing to say, but it is similar to your statement.

now taking bets!

[Anonymous Coward]

How long will Apple take to *fix* this?

Re:Ogg fails it

[Lurks]

The great thing about Ogg is that is open and not encumbered by patents

The thing is though, right, who actually cares?

Re:Big Deal

[wootest]

Most reviewers who do demand direct directory access are generally clueless about how metadata, organization or both combined work with the devices. Even the iPod shuffle needs to store play order when used in the playlist mode - how do you suppose you put a few songs to the top of the list using folder structures?

Low-level mavens might be more comfortable with folder arrangements as they involve 'less magic'. But things that can be in more places than one at the same time are just not good things to run directly on folder structures, because they'd require maintenance. I guess playlists are doable via folders of aliases/shortcuts/symlinks, but anything more complicated than that is just not tenable - like smart playlists.

Re:Winamp?

[jxs2151]

You from Korea by any chance?

Re:Big Deal

[wootest]

It's called playlists.

Re:Wrong - well, partly anyway

[Elwood P Dowd]

3: not bothered at all; thinks id3 is the right way to do it anyway due to cross platform filename hiccoughs.