I'm no longer using iTunes.

Question

I'm no longer using iTunes.  Designers and developers at Apple haven't figured out that progress doesn't always mean change.  And in this case the changes being made are just frustrating people and ******* them off.  The functionality of iTunes 10 was good enough, you are welcome to polish it all you want but keep the basic functionality the same.
Can people please recommend an alternative?  -D

Answer 1

I can speak to that.
I am running Windows 7 presently, have been fighting iTunes for maybe 6 years now. But never has it been as bad as iTunes 12.
This is not because I am computer illiterate, au contraire, my friend.
Just got a new iPhone 6 before Christmas. iTunes 12, latest OS on the iPhone 6. Also on my old 4s, which I backed up to iTunes in anticipation of restoring to my new iPhone 6. No way! Each time the "restore" would get to the apps, it would look like it was doing something, but...nothing. My new phone would still say Hello, Bonjour, etc. waiting for me to set it up. Very frustrating.
After about four tries with this, I called Apple support. They had me do the exact same thing about 6 MORE times! Each time it would get to the apps, it would crash. They sent me to "Senior" support. I spent FOUR hours on the phone with them that first day. NOT on hold, TALKING and WORKING! The tech was, in the end, stumped, and had me gather info from my computer to send to "the engineers at Apple". The next day, she called back for MORE info for "the engineers".
A couple of days later, she called back to say that it was a "known issue" and that they were "working on it". Keep iTunes updated and also the iOS on the phone. This was three weeks ago. Although she did give me her number and extension, there has been no change in the solution to my problem.
(An aside to say that my phone DOES work, but I had to create a new user on my PC and install a totally empty iTunes there. Backed up my old phone again, and restored from the NEW installation of iTunes. This is fine, but the library is basically empty, except for what I have added in the last three weeks. My original library has 500+ movies; I use it with Apple TV.)
Just a couple of hours ago, I decided to add some music to my iPad. (I suspected I might have a problem...but, nothing ventured, nothing gained.) I manually managed music, etc., as usual, and the sync proceeded. Got as far as the apps, and the whole thing crashed. I tried again. Same thing. So it is basically the same conflict between iTunes 12.whatever.whatever (latest version) and the latest version of ios8. Yet, they STILL do not know how to fix it!
They are very accommodating, and very nice, but they have not a clue as to what is wrong here.
Is the new iTunes more than superficially different from different releases?
I would say so.
I have had a PC for 20 years. I got my first iOS device perhaps 8 years ago. Since then, I had been amazed with the functionality of Apple devices...to the point where I was seriously considering dumping my old PC and switching to a MAC. Not anymore. Steve Jobs died. It took a couple of years, but Apple is now no better than Microsoft.
I just paid $700.00 for a phone, and they tell me they can't help me because they don't know the solution to my problem???
I am speechless!
Any questions?