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#Post#: 35221--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Mac Date: August 11, 2015, 7:30 pm
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Thanks for the article. Ya, I pretty much went through that
thinking process.
I now use my iPad for reading in a mobile way. Keeping the
dedicated office. In the Apple Store I was later focused on the
MacBook, not necessarily the Pro. After going through most
everything, I was introduced to the 27" iMac and I switched gear
immediately. I thought I would simply continue with another lap
top and two screen. But things change and I think what I got
will work for me for awhile.
#Post#: 35222--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Neumatic Date: August 11, 2015, 7:37 pm
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I was really annoye dby how little the laptop screens and SSDs
were getting... they're making these laptops as slim and sleek
as possible, which i get, but I had to get a refurbished laptop
in order to get the functionality i had before. I don't care
for that.
Part of me wants to experiment with a Hackintosh in the future,
I'd love to fit a Mac into an NZXT case, I was reminded of that
while watching Antiviral, where they used one of those (the
slickest, most futuristic looking towers I've seen) to house a
mechanical device with springs, sprockets, gears, etc. It was a
neat mash-up.
#Post#: 35248--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Mac Date: August 14, 2015, 9:57 am
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This should probably go in the music section...
[quote]When I was younger, I was all about the mix tape. I
invested an inordinate amount of time and thought into picking
just the right mix of songs to foster a certain mood or theme,
making sure that I achieved the right flow from one song into
the next while timing it all perfectly so that no extra seconds
were left at the end of the each side of the tape. Cutting off a
song was the cardinal sin of mix-tape making; leaving several
minutes of dead space at the end of each side wasn't much
better.
As time passed, my mix tapes morphed into mix CDs and ultimately
into iTunes playlists, and a huge portion of my iTunes listening
still revolves around the playlist. I rarely listen to a
complete album by a single artist except when I'm getting
acquainted with a new release. I value variety in my music
listening--not the schizophrenic variety that comes with trying
to listen to your entire iTunes library on shuffle, but the
tailored variety that comes from listening to a well-crafted
playlist based on a certain genre or mood. As just one example,
I've got a playlist called "Emotion in Motion" that's crafted
for the road trip--all songs about going to, being in, and then
returning from some place. The journey.
If anything I've just described resonates with you, then the new
Apple Music streaming service is designed for you. At its core,
Apple Music is all about the playlist.
Yes, Apple Music does give you access to roughly 30 million
songs in the iTunes music catalog, with the ability to listen to
complete albums from any artist in the catalog and to seamlessly
integrate those albums into your own iTunes music library. Yes,
it allows you to listen to genre-based "radio" stations and
create artist-inspired stations, shuffling through songs that
are similar to those of an artist you already love. Yes, it
offers the new Beats 1 live radio station being broadcast
simultaneously around the world.
But really, what distinguishes Apple Music from the likes of
Pandora, Spotify, and Google Music is its focus on the
playlist...on crafting a musical theme or mood with a certain
number of curated songs--i.e., songs selected by real people.
How much value you place on this aspect of the service will
dictate whether or not Apple Music is a more worthy investment
than the other streaming services on the market.
Let's cover the basics. Apple Music costs $9.99/month for an
individual subscription or $14.99/month for a family
subscription that supports up to six users (a free three-month
trial is available). Apple Music streams AAC files at 256 kbps.
On your computer, Apple Music is fully integrated into iTunes;
it can't be accessed via Web browser or its own dedicated app.
To use it, you need to download or upgrade to iTunes version
12.2.
Owners of iOS devices must update to the v8.4 operating system,
at which time the Apple Music app will replace the current iOS
Music app. I own an older iPhone 4, which does not support the
new OS and therefore does not support the Apple Music service.
So, this review is based entirely on my experience with the
service as it is offered through iTunes on a computer, which is
likely the way many of our readers will use it to stream music
to AirPlay-enabled devices around the home. (FYI, Sonos has
already announced that it will support Apple Music later this
year.) From what I've read elsewhere, the iOS version is not
without its share of frustrations in these early-goings, and
I'll point you here for a discussion on that. An Android version
of Apple Music is reportedly coming this fall.
When you update to iTunes 12.2, you'll notice some new
categories along the top of the iTunes Music Player interface.
Next to staples like My Music, Playlist, and iTunes Store,
you'll find options labeled For You, New, Radio, and Connect.
Click on "For You" to begin the personalization process, where
Apple Music asks you to select music genres you like and then
artists within those genres. These choices float around in
bubbles; click the bubble once if you like the choice, and click
it again if you love the choice. Based on your selections, Apple
Music instantly creates a customized For You page with some
playlists and album recommendations that fit your tastes.
At first, my list wasn't very long, and I wasn't terribly
impressed with the options, which placed too much emphasis on
classic rock. So I went back and tweaked my preferences (you can
do this at any time by selecting "Choose Artists for You" under
your account info). After several tweaks, I ended up with a
well-rounded reflection of my musical tastes. Now, every time I
cue up iTunes, some new playlists and recommendations are
waiting for me in the "For You" section. As I type this, I'm
listening to a playlist called "Behind the Boards: Brian Eno,"
which includes 17 songs produced by Brian Eno, from artists like
U2, Coldplay, Sinead O'Connor, Talking Heads, and James. Now,
I've never told iTunes how much I admire Brian Eno, but the
service figured me out pretty quickly and created a playlist
that combines Eno-produced songs that I already own with ones
I've never heard before. I can add any of the new songs to my
iTunes library and even one of my own expertly curated playlists
with the click of a button. That's pretty cool.
At first glance, the "New" section looks like it's just another
link to the iTunes Store to browse new music, with lists of hot
new tracks, top songs, top albums, top music videos, etc. All of
these lists can be tailored by genre, too. But the most
interesting part of the "New" section is kind of buried in the
middle: a banner runs across the interface with options that
read "Apple Editors Playlists," "Activities Playlists," and
"Curators Playlists." Within these areas are--you guessed
it--more playlists, handpicked by Apple editors or guest editors
like Rolling Stone, Wired, Shazaam, Grand Ole Opry, DJ Mag, Mojo
Mag, and many others. The Activities area features playlists
built around activities like BBQing, Breaking Up, Chilling Out,
Driving, Waking Up, or Working Out. There's a whole lot of
interesting stuff to dig into within these areas, if you're
willing.
The "Radio" section isn't brand new. Apple already offered (and
still does) free genre- and artist-based stations, but the
section now includes the new Beats 1 radio station. I confess,
after about 10 minutes of listening to Beats 1, I was over it.
It's not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for everyone.
Interestingly, Beats 1 was the only element of Apple Music that
would not stream over AirPlay in my house. Every time I tried
switching to Beats 1 from another part of Apple Music, iTunes
would turn off AirPlay and only play the station through my
computer.
Finally, there's the Connect section, which is a social media
page designed to connect you with artists, who check in
periodically with status updates, videos, etc. Picture a
Facebook universe where all your "friends" are your favorite
bands. Apple Music builds your Connect page based on the artists
in your library, so it's immediately relevant to your tastes,
and you can add/subtract artists as desired. This section was
far more entertaining and time-consuming than I originally
expected it to be.
It's worth noting that anyone who updates to iTunes 12.2 is
going to see the new sections I've just described--and will be
able to stream the free radio stations (even Beats 1, at least
right now) and view the Connect page. You can even browse the
playlists in the "New" section, but you won't actually be able
to play the music without the Apple Music subscription.
The last significant difference in the new iTunes 12.2 for Apple
Music subscribers is the search function. Now, when you click
into the search field, you can choose between searching your own
music library and searching Apple Music for any artist, song, or
album you want to hear.
High Points:
• Apple Music gives you access to 30 million songs in the iTunes
music catalog, with the ability to integrate them into your
personal iTunes music library so that all your music is located
in one place.
• The service offers a lot of hand-picked playlists by Apple
editors and guest editors, as well as customized playlists based
on your personal preferences.
• Genre- and artist-inspired radio stations are available that
can learn your tastes.
• The Connect section is a fun way to interact with your
favorite artists.
Low Points
• Apple Music is not compatible with older iOS devices that
don't support the new OS 8.4.
• An Android version is not yet available, although Apple says
it's coming in the fall.
• While Apple does offer free, ad-supported radio streams,
there's no free version of Apple Music with direct song/album
access, as you can get with Spotify Free on your desktop.
• Apple doesn't offer a lossless streaming option, a la TIDAL.
Comparison and Competition
The highest-profile competitor to Apple Music is Spotify, which
also allows you to browse by specific song/artist and stream
genre- and artist-inspired radio stations. The free Spotify
desktop app gives you access to the core Spotify features
streamed at 160 kbps. Spotify Premium costs $9.99/month and
streams in the Ogg Vorbis format at 320 kbps and is available on
mobile devices. In terms of sound quality, Spotify's 320-kbps
rate is a little higher than Apple's; CNET recently did a
sound-quality comparison between the two services that you can
read here.
For our audience, the biggest competitor might be TIDAL, as it's
the only service that offers a lossless streaming option at
$20/month, and it's being integrated into a growing number of
higher-end audio products. TIDAL also offers some curated
content.
Other competitors include Pandora, Rdio, Google Music, and
Rhapsody. The Verge put together a nice comparison chart of the
different services, which you'll find here.
Conclusion
With so many streaming music options to choose from, how do you
decide if Apple Music is the one for you? If you already use
iTunes and AirPlay for a lot of your around-the-home music
listening, the biggest benefit to Apple Music might be that it
seamlessly integrates the streaming service into your existing
ecosystem, with no need to bring other apps into the process.
Of, on the other hand, you hate using iTunes, Apple Music
probably isn't for you.
In a big-picture sense, the question is, what do you want from
your streaming music service? If all you want is a simple way to
access albums and songs, maybe stream the occasional radio
station to provide background music around the home without
giving much thought to the process behind it, then one service
is really just as good as the next. You might as well just pick
the one that plays nicest with your audio products. If, on the
other hand, you want to dig a little deeper--if you want to
actively connect with a community that can recommend new music
and experiment with interesting new playlist combinations--then
Apple Music should be right up your alley.
[/quote]
#Post#: 35273--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Mac Date: August 16, 2015, 7:30 pm
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Well I ventured to our Container Store and picked up the Jimi
USB. That container store is cool.
Gah, while the Jimi fits perfectly, the Steampunk USB is bulky
and won't fit well into the receptacle without hitting the front
of the screen before fully engaging. It will work nicely for
regular USB's.
So I ordered a Sabrent 4 Port USB that looks like it was
designed by Apple.
...
Man I am slowly figuring out the way Mac's work with files,
documents, etc... The gesture pad and glass mouse are
interesting.
#Post#: 35274--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Neumatic Date: August 16, 2015, 8:03 pm
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Did you get a mouse or are you just using the gesture pad?
#Post#: 35278--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Mac Date: August 17, 2015, 5:38 am
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The mouse came with it. I picked up the gesture pad because I
think I'll use that more.
#Post#: 35357--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Mac Date: August 23, 2015, 7:58 pm
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Gah, I have an issue.
The external hard drive with all my music I want to import is
incompatible with as is with the iMac. So when I attempt for
iTunes to import, alerts come up that the drive needs to me
reformatted.
I don't necessarily want to bring all that music onto my iMac. I
was hoping to keep it on the external drive.
I think I have to play music shuffle. Export it all to flash
drives. Reformat the external, and then have iTunes use the
external as the repository. Then put all the mp3's back onto the
external.
Thoughts?
#Post#: 37746--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Neumatic Date: May 5, 2016, 1:37 pm
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Don't get Apple Music
HTML https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/.<br
/> Seriously, don't get Apple Music. And be sure to back up you
r
files. F*ck, i accidentally got a month of iCloud service and
it f*cked up my podcast backlog.
F*ck this sh1t and f*ck them for hiding this in the terms of
service so they can't be sued over it.
#Post#: 37747--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Chiprocks1 Date: May 5, 2016, 1:49 pm
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Apple Music is still around? I thought they went away in the
same manner that MySpace did. Sorry you're going through this
sh*t.
#Post#: 37748--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fun With Apple
By: Neumatic Date: May 5, 2016, 3:45 pm
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It's just the podcasts, not a big deal. I'm not nearly as
screwed as the guy in the article. But yes, Apple Music is
still around and Trent Reznor is doing a redesign, because
that's what the problem was, the interface, not screwing
customers out of their music collection and taking away the
right to sue them about it.
See, every time they take away a feature like a disc drive or
cut down on hard drive space or tell us the future is tablets
and we don't need computers themselves, I'm extremely wary,
because I know they want to pull more sh1t like this.
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