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General discussion

Bundled Wares

Feb 7, 2006 11:12PM PST

I totally agree with Molly on the fact that too many applications these days are bundling TOO many applications with their products. I hate having to get iTunes TO GET QuickTime. I hate how Macromedia and Adobe have bundled the Yahoo toolbar into their products, THANKFULLY you have the option to not install them.

I wanted to share a couple of alternative products. The first being a replacement for QuickTime & iTunes.

Use Juice for podcast subscriptions (you can subscribe to iTunes feeds with it too) & then go to free-codecs.com and download "The Codecs" package. That will allow you to play M4V files with Media Player Classic. Also, the Real & QuickTime Alternatives are great.

http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/index.php
http://www.free-codecs.com

As far as Adobe Reader goes, you can get rid of it. I use a program called Foxit PDF Reader. Its free and MUCH, MUCH more light-weight AND the best part is, it doesn't even need a helper application to help start it. Adobe has to run a background service to help launch the program faster. (Talk about bloated)

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

Discussion is locked

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Good alternatives
Feb 9, 2006 4:51AM PST

I have used some of these, and they are good alternatives. Both iTunes and Adobe install launchers which load at startup, and both do so without asking. And iTunes loads the iPod helper as well, a 5MB app which runs all the time whenever I launch iTunes (it doesn't unload)..and I don't have an iPod.

These two are just some of the offenders. I wish all of the software makers would get their crap out of my system tray and starup menu. Unless I absolutely have to have it, I don't want it.

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Totally Agree
Feb 9, 2006 5:15AM PST

Make the applications LESS bloated so they don't need helper applications. It can be done while retaining and adding features (I would think).

I'm really liking Songbird.

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Let me get this straight...
Feb 9, 2006 5:46AM PST

Molly and others complain about the integration of iTunes and QuickTime because Apple uses QuickTime elements in its iTunes application.

So... you would rather seek out an alternative application called Juice so you can still subscribe to iTunes feeds and then seek out another site that provides the codecs you will need and then have to download to play M4V files with Media Player Classic?

Call me a freak but I like clicking on one stupid download button and having it all install for me. It would be one thing if they were two completely separate products but iTunes now uses Quicktime, from what I understand.

-Kevin S.

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My reasoning
Feb 9, 2006 6:07AM PST

iTunes really sucks on my computer. It is slow. When movies are played they are REALLY choppy and it locks my entire computer up. HOWEVER, when I play M4V files in Media Player Classic, they play as smooth as could be.

Heres the main thing. Say you ONLY needed QuickTime to play one video file. You have to download that HUGE file that has iTunes with it, then you've got even more crud on your computer.

Its not like Apple can't put the applications separate. Its not like they don't have the bandwidth. They're just trying to get you to use iTunes so you will buy music, HOWEVER, I have tried buying music from iTunes but I could never get an account set up.

The beauty of Media Player Classic, VLC Media Player and a few others is the fact that they play EVERY format you could possibly want in one application.

There are a bunch of applications out there for subscribing to podcasts. Doesn't really matter which one you use. I just prefer Juice.

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Quicktime sans iTunes
Feb 9, 2006 6:27AM PST

Maybe it's different on the PC but I'm pretty sure you can download Quicktime without installing iTunes. The iTunes installer requires Quicktime but the Quicktime installer doesn't require iTunes. I haven't tested this on my Mac to verify but I don't think the Quicktime installer has iTunes packaged with it.

-Kevin S.

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On The PC
Feb 9, 2006 7:12AM PST

It is different on Windows. The installer downloads both iTunes & QuickTime, it says something like "iTunes+QuickTime".

I just looked at Apple.com, the Mac version does not come with iTunes.

If I was on a Mac, I know I would probably appreciate iTunes & QuickTime more. But on a PC, or at least my PC, its really horrid.

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Ask and you shall receive
Feb 9, 2006 12:52PM PST
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Prize...
Feb 9, 2006 2:23PM PST

Hmmm, I don't have anything, other than a CONGRATULATIONS, you uncovered hidden treasure, too bad I'm sticking to Media Player Classic.

Thanks for posting it though, I am definitely bookmarking, blogging, emailing this to many people who have been looking EVERYWHERE for it.