Forums | MacLife

rjim · 2009-09-24 9:37 am

What's up with Apple. They take a simple and easy to use design for iMove a few years back and made it very difficult to use. No I stay away from movie tasks as much as possible. My Window friends seem to have it easier.

Then in iTunes they take a clean easy to use design (at least in the music side of iTunes) and squeeze it in to a none resizable window, not to mention making searching for a song much more difficult.
They also default to immediate download of songs and force the use of a wish list, which took me about 1/2 hour to figure out. A friend told me they took the design from NetFlick which they also drastically hate.He and I DJ and easy of use to obtain a song while DJing is very import to us.

Does Apple still test these designs with users? Don't they care about easy of use any more? I starting to look at other music sources now that are easier to use.

I'm really disappointed in Apple. Their interface is becoming harder and harder to use.

Perhaps I'm too old and expect too much. I started with a Mac Plus and have been a user and application developer over the years. I think Apple needs to get back to basic, old fashion, simple to use interface design. I've taken very complex designs and made the interface design easy to use. Surely Apple with its resources can do the same.

sturner · 2009-09-24 11:07 am

I am wondering what you are talking about. While I agree that the iMovie '08 was a step back, I find it hard to understand your complaints about iTunes.

My iTunes has always had a resizable window, and still does under 10.6.1. Search for a song is very easy. It also uses real-time selection as you type.

So I'm not understanding your complaint.

Also, this forum isn't the place for a rant, it's for the asking of technical questions.

Do you have a question?

rjim · 2009-09-24 12:19 pm

Sorry, if my message was a rant. It was not meant to be that. It seems there no place to express dislike for what Apple does any more. Then let re rephrase, how do you resize the little window of songs shown when a search is requested and how do you get all of the songs like you could in previous versions.

The online iTunes now has a separate menu on the left an with albums surrounding a small window that list some matching song titles along with a buy button that if held down becomes a drop down menu. You have to hold this down to add the tune to a wish list otherwise there is an immediate purchase and download. The small window is only 300 pixels high by 700 wide and can not be resized.

Jim

rjim · 2009-09-24 12:23 pm

Are you using iTunes 9.0.1? Maybe it only works correctly in Mac OS 10.6. I'm still in Mac OS 10.8 because my business software does not work 10.6 yet. My friend is a windows user and has the same problem.

Jim

SomeOneOrOther · 2009-09-24 1:55 pm

Last edited by SomeOneOrOther (2009-09-24 2:36 pm)

pottymouth · 2009-09-24 2:12 pm

I'm also not quite sure what your complaint is. Can you rephase? Personally, I usually just browse the store in column view. Hit cmd+b. That help any?

rjim · 2009-09-24 2:55 pm

Well in the old interface, the entire title of the song could be seen. In the new interface they are chopped off, as is the artists name and so on. You can only see about 20 songs at once because of the fixed window, which by the way has always been a interface design no-no. In the old interface I could see 50 or 60 songs at once. It made it a whole lot easier to find what I was looking for. Plus have to select add to my wish list is a real pain when I am attempting to obtain 30 or 40 songs. The old interface automatically placed them in a hold lace so I could review the songs before I purchased and downloaded them. In my world when there are songs that may have 20 or 30 variation, and the correct variation is important. The new interface is just so restrictive. I think it is an attempt to get people to order albums instead of individual songs.

sturner · 2009-09-24 3:05 pm

Now I understand your post.

The iTunes Store has been through a bit of a change, and that is driven by their mission. They are there to sell music, and not necessarily to enhance your user experience.

The format that they currently use is directly linked to advertising in order for you to spend your money with them. No doubt there are simpler and easier ways, from the customer's viewpoint, to access their offerings.

What pottymouth said about using the CMD + B key sequence to go into column view would seem to solve at least a part of your problem.

sturner · 2009-09-24 3:09 pm

And for a rant you could always post in Unplugged.

rjim · 2009-09-24 3:26 pm

But doesn't making the user experience easier help sell. I know that is how I feel. I went to iTunes because it was easy, even when I could get it cheaper elsewhere. Now iTunes will probably be come the last resort instead of first choice for me. I think other DJs that previously use Apple's service, especially during a gig, may do the same.

Oh well, thanks.

Jim

sturner · 2009-09-24 9:37 pm

They will do what the majority of the customers will accept. That is business. Learn how to make the available system work for you. Spend the time to find out how to do that before you need to access it.

rjim · 2009-09-25 7:59 am

I'm sorry, I guess I come the old school of thought. A company should be concerned about its customers and what is best for their customers and not do what they can get away. No wonder so many of my clients are bitching about how computers work. The lesser of two evils is not a good approach to aim for.

mrreet2001 · 2009-09-25 8:42 am

You are never going to appease everyone. When you are as big as Apple almost everything you do will make some happy and piss off others. Its just how the world works... So what as a company do you do? You make decisions based on money and how much you can make.

ukimalefu · 2009-09-25 9:15 am

Adapt

rjim · 2009-09-25 8:34 pm

They did not think that way several years ago. They did what was right and it showed. They were one of the last one to do that. Oh well, I will be quit.

wellfleation · 2009-09-25 9:32 pm

ukimalefu wrote:
Adapt

With what, SoundJam?

SomeOneOrOther · 2009-09-25 11:40 pm

After more reflection and interaction with the updated Tunes, I have to chime in, and say that I now understand RJIM's post a bit more. Seeing song titles and album titles cut off (and therefore sometimes having to preview songs just to be able to fully see that information). The "older iTunes" made that easier - you had the expandable columns at the bottom.

The newer version is in some respects more form over functionality, I have to agree. It's not "all" bad, but now I think I understand your argument a bit more.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2009-09-24 9:37 am

Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

#2 2009-09-24 11:07 am

Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

#3 2009-09-24 12:19 pm

Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

#4 2009-09-24 12:23 pm

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#5 2009-09-24 1:55 pm

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#6 2009-09-24 2:12 pm

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#7 2009-09-24 2:55 pm

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#11 2009-09-24 9:37 pm

Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

#12 2009-09-25 7:59 am

Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

#13 2009-09-25 8:42 am

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Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

ukimalefu wrote:

#17 2009-09-25 11:40 pm

Re: Apple new iTunes online user interactive design (interface)

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