http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html I've been observing personal computing behavior for a long time, and now I have some things to say. Here are my two cents about computing, music, software, and related topics. Mon, 04 May 2026 12:54:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-2 Anonymous Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-2 To claim "smart playlists" as an iTunes innovation is outright misinformation, and only highlights how narrow your own expirence with computers and media has been.<BR/><BR/>I've been doing these "smart playlists" with BeOS on Macs and PC's since 1998, using a BeOS feature known as "filesystem queries". You can assigne meta data to any file on BeOS, and run real-time queries across the files on your computer. For example, you can make a query that basically says, "Give me all the audio files that have ratings >= 4". You can narrow that down by any type of information you want. Genere, Title, Artist, album... anything. <BR/><BR/>The closest thing any Operating System out there today has that can compare to this (for Mac OR PC) is Spotlight in the upcoming MacOS X "Tiger". WinFS has the same general notion, but won't even be included in Longhorn at this rate. BeOS has been able to do this since 1996, and it wasn't limited to one program. It was a service of the operating system. Is iTunes innovative? Yes. Is it innovative in it's use of smart playlists? No.<BR/><BR/>Do some reasearch before you claim things to be revolutionary, innovations, or from the halls of Apple. I'm not a Mac hater, I love Macs. I have two of them. I also have two PC's. To claim “smart playlists” as an iTunes innovation is outright misinformation, and only highlights how narrow your own expirence with computers and media has been.

I’ve been doing these “smart playlists” with BeOS on Macs and PC’s since 1998, using a BeOS feature known as “filesystem queries”. You can assigne meta data to any file on BeOS, and run real-time queries across the files on your computer. For example, you can make a query that basically says, “Give me all the audio files that have ratings >= 4″. You can narrow that down by any type of information you want. Genere, Title, Artist, album… anything.

The closest thing any Operating System out there today has that can compare to this (for Mac OR PC) is Spotlight in the upcoming MacOS X “Tiger”. WinFS has the same general notion, but won’t even be included in Longhorn at this rate. BeOS has been able to do this since 1996, and it wasn’t limited to one program. It was a service of the operating system. Is iTunes innovative? Yes. Is it innovative in it’s use of smart playlists? No.

Do some reasearch before you claim things to be revolutionary, innovations, or from the halls of Apple. I’m not a Mac hater, I love Macs. I have two of them. I also have two PC’s.

]]> http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-3 Leland Scott Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-3 Don't get your back up! <BR/><BR/>I wasn't claiming that smart playlists were an Apple innovation. I was saying that Apple was innovative in seeing and taking advantage of their potential in iTunes. In the same way, I wouldn't claim that Apple invented the mouse or the concept of a graphical user interface. But I do give them credit for being innovative in making a viable commercial product with them and thereby leading the industry in that direction. (There are many, many similar examples, but hopefully you understand where I'm coming from now.) Don’t get your back up!

I wasn’t claiming that smart playlists were an Apple innovation. I was saying that Apple was innovative in seeing and taking advantage of their potential in iTunes. In the same way, I wouldn’t claim that Apple invented the mouse or the concept of a graphical user interface. But I do give them credit for being innovative in making a viable commercial product with them and thereby leading the industry in that direction. (There are many, many similar examples, but hopefully you understand where I’m coming from now.)

]]> http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-4 misfit Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-4 While I agree with everything you said regarding an iPod, the little picture is of a Shuffle. It doesn't do all the things the iPod does. There is no screen (obviously), and you only get two modes: continuous and shuffle.<BR/><BR/>I love my Shuffle. I can always skip a song if I don't feel like listening to it. And it cost a bunch less than the iPod. <BR/><BR/>Just wanted to clarify. While I agree with everything you said regarding an iPod, the little picture is of a Shuffle. It doesn’t do all the things the iPod does. There is no screen (obviously), and you only get two modes: continuous and shuffle.

I love my Shuffle. I can always skip a song if I don’t feel like listening to it. And it cost a bunch less than the iPod.

Just wanted to clarify.

]]> http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-5 Mart Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-5 Regarding that little pic with an iPod in someone's hand...<BR/><BR/>The hand there has quite long nails, don't you think? Regarding that little pic with an iPod in someone’s hand…

The hand there has quite long nails, don’t you think?

]]> http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-6 Leland Scott Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/03/but-i-dont-want-to-shuffle.html#comment-6 You have something against long nails? A lot of women have them, although I've known a lot of male guitar pickers who have them, too. :-) You have something against long nails? A lot of women have them, although I’ve known a lot of male guitar pickers who have them, too.

]]>