This one’s been ages comin’, however the iTunes forced backup / syncing issue is not any less real today than it was a decade ago when iTunes started to play a bigger-than-life role inside the operation of Apple’s iDevices. Because it stands, it’s effectively impossible to make use of an iPhone, iPad or iPod without also using iTunes, and while Apple’s done an exemplary job ensuring that it really works with most major platforms (yes, Windows included ), there’s one nagging question that just won’t leave: why?
Why what, you ask? Why iTunes, I say. Why does Apple force users into an experience that nearly inevitably leads to sadness, if not outright disaster? It’s an issue that has baffled me for what looks like eons, and it’s a gaffe that played a big role in pushing me far from my iPhone 3G and onto a Nexus One in the summertime of 2010. I should probably circle back and explain that I understand why Apple has interwoven iTunes with its iDevice line. iTunes isn’t a bit of software; it’s an ecosystem . The entire point of marketing an iPod touch isn’t to sell an (admittedly titillating) piece of hardware, it’s to loop an end-user right into a system that continually dings their bank card. And by making them work so well together, the corporate has created a decidedly beautiful scheme that keeps customers coming back for more — I’m guessing the repeat business from iTunes users is downright staggering.
But here’s the item: what if I don’t like to go all-in with that ecosystem? What if I enjoy casually using an app here or there at the iPhone, and what if I just wish to throw Lupe Fiasco’s latest record on my device five minutes ahead of heading out on a 10-day road trip? What if i need to make quick and subtle changes to my iPod, iPad or iPhone, without iTunes selfishly consuming what’s left of my day? That, friends, is seemingly an impossible task.
Let me boil the matter down for many who have not begun to endure an iTunes “backup.” It’s impossible to sideload music onto an iDevice without also backing up your device, and when you can theoretically opt to not also sync apps when you’re at it, the consequence for doing so involves wiping your handheld of apps altogether. Yeah, a beautiful solution. Here’s an example: I download a brand new record from Amazon’s MP3 store. That was fun and easy. Now, what I’d cherish to do is plug my iPod touch in and feature it take place on my desktop as an external storage device — you understand, similar to what happened back when iPods still used FireWire connectors. If that were to occur, i may drag those files over to a “Music” folder, and within the time it’d take me to yell “Hallelujah,” I’d be ejecting the device and heading on my merry way.
Is that truly an excessive amount of ask, Apple? I’m guessing it’s not, because said scenario is precisely what plays out on every occasion I port over an album to my Nexus One. That still signifies that it’s on me to adequately backup the album I downloaded in case my device goes missing or otherwise self-destructs, but trust me — me and my scheduled NAS backups can handle that just fine. Instead, an effortless ten song transfer finally ends up taking between ten minutes and ten hours, reckoning on how long it’s been because you last synced your device with iTunes. Apple’s presumed reasoning this is that by forcing users to backup their entire device with each change, they’ll always be capable of restore back to a well-recognized point in case of emergency. That’s a very good concept, and that i’m thrilled the engineers in Cupertino are searching for the clumsy among us, but pardon me while I borrow another concept from Google: opt out . What’s wrong with letting advanced iTunes users opt out of perpetual backups for the sake of haste? Nothing, I wager.
While we’re at the topic, let’s briefly discuss apps. Quite frankly, I count us all fortunate that Apple lets us download apps on to our iDevices, but when you start a sync, you best carve out enough time to permit your device and computer to level with each other. And in the event that your app arrangement to your computer is any different than what’s for your phone or PMP, prepare for one more round of rearranging. Oh, and notice that “Don’t Sync Apps” button over there? Careful — clicking it lets iTunes wipe your entire apps in preference to simply opting out of a sync and leaving them the manner they currently are for your device. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.
I’ll stop wanting tackling the difficulty of using multiple iDevices on a single computer — which frankly deserves a segment of its own — and instead, will present a reasonably simple solution that needs to unquestionably be included inside the next point release of iTunes. Apple, stop forcing people to sync. Stop forcing people to backup their devices each time. a steady nag (as you’ve already mastered with Time Machine) is enough. Or better yet, include MobileMe with every iDevice purchase and store everything within the cloud . Dreaming big, i do know , but let’s start with an “Opt Out of Sync” option within the next installment of your forced-upon-us music management software. Deal?
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