ChrisW
11-15-2007, 09:57 PM
I don't get why every seems happy about our "upgrade" this week. From my perspective, the tradeoffs achieve parity at best. Here's how I see the score:
Desktop software
I'm really horribly underwhelmed here. Sure, part of this is a bad feeling due to the mangling of my catalog (80% of the content was erased from my device, the collection was mangled, and no matter what I do, I seem to be stuck with a cover image from Megadeth applied to Dan Levinson & His Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra). To me the Genre and Year lists were more important than the Album lists, I'm going to miss them. They destroyed one playlist by deleting its tracks from the device, and I can't build it back up because it was generated from the Year view.
Advances
Supports WiFi sync (which I don't use anyway)
Ummm... I really can't think of anything elseDeclines
No more listing by Genre
No more listing by Year
Mangle your catalog on upgrade
Trash cover art
Put copies of random tracks into random albums (Ozzy under Johnny Cash? Hmmm)
Song ratings are left behind
Can't see actual sync status, just a percentageDevice Firmware
The interface is more visually attractive, but it seems like they sacrificed function for form. There's still a huge missed opportunity that must be a marketing decision, that the device's file system will not be available to the desktop. This is terrible, and for what reason?
Advances
Wifi sync that I don't use
Slightly loosened restrictions on music sharing (that I don't use)
Go to artist option (I think that's new), but why not other Goto's?
Ummm... I can't think of anything elseDeclines
Album view contains less information -- artist isn't shown unless the album is selected.
For non-upgraders, EQ has been removedI may have missed something in those brief lists, but if so, it's not something that's important to me.
Judging from these things that I've noticed, it seems far from clear that the situation is an improvement, more like just a ... change.
If they could give me back the desktop Genre and Year lists I would be less dissatisfied, but even so, they can't give back the 3 hours I wasted putting my collection back in order after they mangled it.
Desktop software
I'm really horribly underwhelmed here. Sure, part of this is a bad feeling due to the mangling of my catalog (80% of the content was erased from my device, the collection was mangled, and no matter what I do, I seem to be stuck with a cover image from Megadeth applied to Dan Levinson & His Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra). To me the Genre and Year lists were more important than the Album lists, I'm going to miss them. They destroyed one playlist by deleting its tracks from the device, and I can't build it back up because it was generated from the Year view.
Advances
Supports WiFi sync (which I don't use anyway)
Ummm... I really can't think of anything elseDeclines
No more listing by Genre
No more listing by Year
Mangle your catalog on upgrade
Trash cover art
Put copies of random tracks into random albums (Ozzy under Johnny Cash? Hmmm)
Song ratings are left behind
Can't see actual sync status, just a percentageDevice Firmware
The interface is more visually attractive, but it seems like they sacrificed function for form. There's still a huge missed opportunity that must be a marketing decision, that the device's file system will not be available to the desktop. This is terrible, and for what reason?
Advances
Wifi sync that I don't use
Slightly loosened restrictions on music sharing (that I don't use)
Go to artist option (I think that's new), but why not other Goto's?
Ummm... I can't think of anything elseDeclines
Album view contains less information -- artist isn't shown unless the album is selected.
For non-upgraders, EQ has been removedI may have missed something in those brief lists, but if so, it's not something that's important to me.
Judging from these things that I've noticed, it seems far from clear that the situation is an improvement, more like just a ... change.
If they could give me back the desktop Genre and Year lists I would be less dissatisfied, but even so, they can't give back the 3 hours I wasted putting my collection back in order after they mangled it.