Software manufacturers have a dilema. How to distribut that hot new killer app to an unaware public without seeming like you are a villanous corporation trying to take over my PC. So far, noone has solved this.
Microsoft distributed Internet Explorer for free and damn near got smashed by the feds for doing it. Gator, Kazaa and a host of others try to slip in "useful" programs along with thier products, but those are pretty easily dismissed as simply crappy ideas. And Apple has begun to install iTunes with its free QuickTime player.
Well, every so often someone actually cons me into trying their product through one of these channels and it actually works out. Such is the case with iTunes. I spent about a week last year ripping my whole CD collection to my hard drive where it has sat blissfully unused for the last six months. Last night, I had to re-load QuickTime to watch some things online and with it came the iTunes download.
Naturally my first reaction was offense that Apple would presume that I required a replacement for Windows Media Player and shove it down my throat. But I had a moment of weakness and decided to give iTunes a try. I*m glad I did.
The software scanned my hard drive and found all the MP3s (about 12 gigs worth) in just a few minutes. Then I was presented with the slickest music management interface I*ve yet seen. Searching was easy, sorting was easy and best of all the random playlist function is just what I*ve been missing all along. Add to that the fact that I can change ID3 tags, rate songs and set the EQ and volume levels for each song and I am hooked.
The only down side to the whole experience is that after listening to an hour of my music selected randomly, I came to the conlusion that I bought a lot of crappy music when I was younger.
