9 Downloads to Free Yourself from iTunes

I like it. I don't live in iTunes on my Mac or PC and really use it as a library to house my music collection and setup playlists for my iPods.

I do occasionally purchase music and apps within iTunes, but I also purchase music from Amazon and Deutsche Gramophone then put it in iTunes. I download podcasts all the time. But, I rarley if ever actually play my music in iTunes (except to check on things or while building playlists).

And then I have to ask the question: what is so undesirable about iTunes, anyway?

Also, they mention that Media Monkey is better, and that it has more features, but the only thing it lists that isn't *also* available in iTunes is plugins. 

I dunno. I'm pretty happy with iTunes. It's worth noting that this list came from PCWorld initially and is now on MSN.

They're not going to give iTunes a fair shake.

And then I have to ask the question: what is so undesirable about iTunes, anyway?

Oh, there are legitimate gripes with iTunes. None of them are deal breakers for *me* but I can understand why some people might not like it.

With that said, as an ecosystem between iPod and JukeBox?

I'm not sure there's anything that works better, or more seamlessly.

PCWorld also wrote a "10 things we hate most about iTunes" article, and much of *that* list was crap. One of the items blames Apple for continued DRM, and points to other services which offer DRM free music from labels whose music is encumbered by DRM on iTunes, stating outright that this is proof that Apple isn't interested in getting rid of DRM.

That's idiotic. Whoever wrote that either 1) is ignorant or 2) is trolling for page views because it's no secret that several of the labels are *purposefully* refusing to let Apple sell DRM free music while letting others sell the same music without DRM because they are trying to wrest control back from Apple.

If it annoys you that iTunes still sells some music with DRM: Blame the labels. 

Now if you could use any of these apps to purchase music from iTunes just as you can from the Amazon store, then that would be newsworthy, although I bet it'll take nothing short of a lawsuit to get Apple to open iTunes to all players equally.

1) That'll never happen.

2) iTunes Plus files are AAC without DRM - a format that any player can support, and which *many, many* players *do* support, beyond the various iPods and the iPhone.

3) The fact that *all* iTunes store files aren't AAC without DRM is the fault of the record labels. Apple has offered to switch away from DRM, and has stated that they would *rather* switch, and *did* switch for every label that took them up on the offer. No lawsuits required.

4) "So many" is an interesting choice of words, given that -- as you've mentioned -- iTunes is the leader in retail music sales.

5) iPods (and iPhones) support MP3 files, which are easily available from multiple legit vendors, and which play just fine with iTunes. 

which *many, many* players *do* support

Not the least of which is the Zune.

Be sure to check out tune-bite a nifty little app (but not free) that converts itunes and other DRM media to a variety of formats. It gets around the fairplay/DRM protection by having itunes "play" the song at 2x (or higher) and records it in mp3 or whatever. Not strictly a dig copy so it theoretically suffers a tiny bit  in the conversion but most people wouldn't notice it.