Of Apples and Asshats
Several months ago someone we know gave us a $25 iTunes gift card. While there were tons of songs we wanted to buy, we kept putting it off for one reason or another until tonight. After we put Brynn to bed, we made our way down to my cluttered office to enjoy a little music and download a few songs. Little did we know what we were in for.
If you want the short version of the story, it's this: I should have made the two-mile jog naked in the snow to Wal-Mart and bought the discs in person. The experience was that bad.
After entering the numbers from our gift card, Heidi went to the iTunes store and found a Colbie Caillat album she wanted. Easy enough, right? So she clicked on the Purchase Album button. I could almost smell the gin and pot on Steve Jobs' breath when a warning window popped up informing us that our version of iTunes wasn't current enough to download this particular album. Allrighty, then.
So we clicked on the upgrade button and waited. And waited. Then we got to wait a little. After what seemed like eons, the download finally started. Then we got to wait again for the 50MB+ file that would allow us to get our album.
Wait just a fucking minute! Did he just say FIFTY PLUS MEG? For a software upgrade? What the hell is in there? The album isn't even that big! Well ok, I guess if I have to. I mean it was a gift, so it's not like I'm paying for this experience. And so we waited again.
We downloaded and ran the installation file, which was no small investment of our time, and it failed. Did I mention it crashed the computer? Yeah well, it did. So I rebooted, started the download again and the installation took on the second try. Somewhere in this process, iTunes managed to ask me for my password at least four times.
But we were in. We were good. It was time to get the music. Heidi clicked the download button again, only to be taken to a terms and conditions page full of baffling legalese that I'm sure no one ever reads. So we clicked I Agree, and nothing happened, so we had to start the download again.
Finally, an hour later, our first download started. Way to go Mr. Jobs. That's a great system for collecting money you've got there. I'm not sure a KMart in Afghanistan could have manufactured a lousier customer experience. I'd probably bitch about it more, but I'm too busy burning all these songs to CD so that I can convert them to a usable format for my MP3 players.
If you want the short version of the story, it's this: I should have made the two-mile jog naked in the snow to Wal-Mart and bought the discs in person. The experience was that bad.
After entering the numbers from our gift card, Heidi went to the iTunes store and found a Colbie Caillat album she wanted. Easy enough, right? So she clicked on the Purchase Album button. I could almost smell the gin and pot on Steve Jobs' breath when a warning window popped up informing us that our version of iTunes wasn't current enough to download this particular album. Allrighty, then.
So we clicked on the upgrade button and waited. And waited. Then we got to wait a little. After what seemed like eons, the download finally started. Then we got to wait again for the 50MB+ file that would allow us to get our album.
Wait just a fucking minute! Did he just say FIFTY PLUS MEG? For a software upgrade? What the hell is in there? The album isn't even that big! Well ok, I guess if I have to. I mean it was a gift, so it's not like I'm paying for this experience. And so we waited again.
We downloaded and ran the installation file, which was no small investment of our time, and it failed. Did I mention it crashed the computer? Yeah well, it did. So I rebooted, started the download again and the installation took on the second try. Somewhere in this process, iTunes managed to ask me for my password at least four times.
But we were in. We were good. It was time to get the music. Heidi clicked the download button again, only to be taken to a terms and conditions page full of baffling legalese that I'm sure no one ever reads. So we clicked I Agree, and nothing happened, so we had to start the download again.
Finally, an hour later, our first download started. Way to go Mr. Jobs. That's a great system for collecting money you've got there. I'm not sure a KMart in Afghanistan could have manufactured a lousier customer experience. I'd probably bitch about it more, but I'm too busy burning all these songs to CD so that I can convert them to a usable format for my MP3 players.
9 Comments
Leave a comment
Doug on Flickr
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from DougHumphries. Make your own badge here.
I hate iTunes with a passion. I like realRhapsody... give it a shot ;)
I'll have to look into that.
I forgot to mention how much I hate that the ID3 tags don't stay with your iTunes downloads when you rip them from a CD, so you have to enter the artist names and songs titles manually. LAME.
That's odd. I've never had a problem. Could it be your computer possibly or your internet connection? I don't know really but I've never had an issue and everyone I know who has also has had internet connectivity issues or computer issues.
My connection is solid. Machine is...well it's good enough. The real problem I have is how often I have to update the player, that I have to update it at all to download a song, and that any album would have to have an end user license attached to it. And I hate the ID3 tag thing. Would anyone ever buy DVD players if they had the same user-hating maintenance hassles? Doubtful. Would anyone read my blog...er oh wait.
Thanks for reading. :)
Welcome to one of the many myriad of reasons why i purchased my fiancee a zune (www.zune.com). which, as a note, has been nothing but awesome sauce. Ive never had anything but trouble with my IPOD and its itunes. In fact my ipod (which is less than 2 years old mind you) just completely kicked the bucket the other week.
I looked at the Zune, but damn that's some pricey shiat. I've been really happy with my Creative Labs MP3 players. I have had a 4GB Zen Micro for a few years now and love it.
I used to use a Creative Muvo for running, and I just bought a Zen Stone for my kid. Tiny little thing, super cheap and 1GB. I'm thinking about buying the 2GB Zen Stone once I start running outside again.
Actually, i just purchased the 30gb zune for $99 at walmart. Sure it was a zune 1 rather than a newer zune 2. but it has all the same features and capability. Its just a bit bigger case wise. If you compair it to devices of similar capability its actualy better priced. The only media device that does more for relative price range is the archos. Im by no means downtalking the creative MP3 players. I LOVE creative. but if you want a multi-media device and not just an MP3 player, i would vote zune, all the way baby.
Wow. That's a lot cheaper than I would have guessed.
well, the zune software is free to download and use. So you might want to try it out. I find its much more user friendly and intuitive than itunes which feels like a non-user-friendly spreadsheet.