iTunes and iPod in Face of WMP 11

[swingerofbirch]

I have been using the beta of WMP 11 for a while now with some interest. WMP 11 combines music, video, and photo playback in the one window application. The appearance of the app (and of upcoming Vista) is more like prelease versions of Mac OS X, back before Apple muted the "lickability" of its GUI. WMP is a shiny black with blue accents. It acts as a browser for a good number of online music stores, but most notably pushes URGE.

Having used it for some time, I am reminded of my earlier concenrs over the naming of iTunes.

Windows Media Player is fortunately named because it is a catch all for all types of media: music, TV, movies, and photos.

Now that iTunes does music AND videos it seems the naming is less than ideal. It also brings to mind that Apple may in the future want to integrate iPhoto functionality directly into iTunes, and even iMovie, and iDVD, and GarageBand.

I suppose the singular application could be called iLife, and iLife Lite on Windows would support playback but not editing of creation of music, videos, and photos.

I believe also that with or without these future additions, the source list of iTunes should be clarified with more hierarchy.

Online Content (can expand/condense)

Music Store​

Audio Books​

Video Store​

Podcasts​

My Library (can expand/condense)

Music
(can expand to show playlists)​

Videos
(can expand to show playlists)​

Podcasts​

 

[Johnny Rico]

imovie has iphoto integration

and video in itunes is terrible.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

maybe the iTMS should be called the iTunes Media Shop...

 

[swingerofbirch]

Apple was lucky to give the iPod a nonmusical name.

Rebranding iTunes with a nonmusical name would be a big deal since it is fairly well recognized as it is. But I think if they were to do it, there big marketing push would be: "iPod does video, music, and photos, (blank) is iPod on your computer." And blank would be the next incarnation of iTunes.

What I am envisioning is a combination of iTunes, iPhoto, and QuickTime, and DVD Player

I think Apple should at least think about it, since it is where WMP 11 is at.

On the other hand, they do have Front Row, which already synergizes the content.

I am one of those people who is OCD (really) and likes things to fit, so it's a bit unsettling to have video being purchased from a music store and being played in a program called iTunes. I dunno, maybe it's just me!

 

[tom391]

I agree, to keep iTunes and Quicktime seperate for much longer is non-sensical. By crippling the free version of QT (can't play full screen?!?!) they're effectively encouraging people to use iTunes for videos...but keeping the term 'iTunes' for such a programme is losing its relevence.

Perhaps the could create one single app called iLife or something, and you can access 'iTunes', 'iPhoto', videos, iTMS etc from the source list on the left side panel.

The functionality of WMP11, where you have one app that can play virtually any media as well as organise a library and browse (multiple) music stores means that Apple will have to do something to integrate the experience on Macs.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

No they won't. WMP's been able to play video and music from the WMP library since version 7, which was a whopping 25mb or 30mb download for windows 98 users over dial up.

I really wish Apple would spice up their UI though..it's so bland.