What's with Apple these days?
Back in September Apple was talking about a complete redesign of iTunes for version 11, with a promised release in October 2012 - which is obviously passed. I had made a note to myself to look into this so I could understand any changes and help with any new challenges that those of you still using iTunes may experience.
Now I'm reading that the release of iTunes 11 is imminent, whatever that means.
Here's another disappointment.
One recent addition to iTunes that I haven't discussed (I'd been waiting for iTunes 11) is how iTunes now offers wireless home sharing between devices logged in with the same Apple ID.
In this post I talk about how you can share iTunes music between computers that are using the same wireless network. It works very well in a Two Instructor household 🙂
So when I saw that you can now share between devices I thought I should create a tutorial on how to use it. I figured that it would most likely work the same as Spotify; you can listen to a playlist from your computer - or - transfer all the tracks onto your iPhone (turn on the available Off-Line toggle) so you can use the playlist for your class... turns out you can't. Best as I can tell you can only listen to music from another networked computer. There's no option to transfer a track or playlist to your device.
"I must be missing something here?", I thought. When would I want to use my iPhone to just listen to music from a computer in my house or office?
But wait! I must be able to drag tracks or playlists from my computer, to my device. That's what iTunes Wi-Fi Sync is for right? Well, no. Not exactly. To use Wi-Fi Sync your computer needs to:
- Recognize your device = you must go through the complete setup process if it doesn't.
- Be connected to a power source, er... like your computer. So what's the point of Wi-Fi if you have to plug in?
If Spotify is available where you live and you have a wireless enabled portable device, we have a bunch of tutorials (here and here) to help you make the transition away from iTunes.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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OK – in all fairness to Apple there are reasons why you would want to connect a computer to a device using Wi-Fi, say if you have Apple TV – But there’s no value that I can see for an Indoor Cycling Instructor.
Or am I missing something?
John,
You are not missing anything.
There is no more a devoted Apple user than I but when it comes to iTunes my frustration level goes way up. I will allow that for indoor cycle instructors iTunes is particularly egregious. Starting with the incredibly different user interfaces between IOS devices and MacBook or iMac.
Spotify is starting to make a dent in iTunes market share. Apple will have to step up its game with version 11 because it won’t be long before spotify will make their music available to apps that formerly used iTunes.
Too bad spotify is not available in Canada! The newer version of itunes is not simpler in my opinion.