Ok, so I don't download music currently just buy the CD the good old fashioned way (well, online not in the shops) and I'm ripping all cd's to the PC to use as a music server

Question is should I use iTunes since everyone swears by it? What's wrong with Media Player? Any other / better free solutions out there for playing them back?

 

look for a cheaper service that doesn't DRM it's music

my itunes stuff has to be burnt to cd audio before i can rip to mp3

also, it leaves iPodService.exe and iTunesHelper.exe in your task list and it p!sses me right off.

...and the tracks are 79p each

 

So what you are saying is avoid iTunes like the plague? and there are better options out there?

 

iTunes works ok, and you can encode cds etc without drm, but on windows it is a bit of a resource hog.

If you just want to capture stuff to mp3 or wma (not worried about aac), then you can use windows media player. It's free and you've already got it.

 

CDEX for ripping (SourceForge.net: CDex)

Windows media, winamp, etc. for playing.

The only reason to install iTunes is if you have an iPod IMHO

Many cheaper places to legally download MP3s and many more to download illegally for free Not that I would condone such behaviour

 

use media player 10 and get yourself a PC remote control

 

This is all looking good for me.. Friends swear by iTunes and claims 'it rocks' but I just don't get it.. Using media player 10 rips to MP3, I've no intention of downloading stuff - especially since new releases are only about seven quid online anyway - I just don't see the point and it seems others don't either. I'm sticking with media player now.. and for the foreseeable future.. just need a remote now you've put that idea into my head...