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Back in the day I used WinAMP (and X11amp) as a simple front end to my web-based Linux jukebox server that I had ripped all of my CDs on to. Those were the day
by thought_alarm 14y ago
Back in the day I used WinAMP (and X11amp) as a simple front end to my web-based Linux jukebox server that I had ripped all of my CDs on to. Those were the days of AudioGalaxy and Red Hat 6 and WindowMaker. It was a marvelous time, for a couple of years anyway.
Then WinAMP 3.0 happened, and it was buggy garbage.
Then I discovered what iTunes could do for me as far as organizing my music. It put WinAMP 3.0 in a new light, and I decided to give it another shot. Nope, still garbage. Then I tried the newly-released WMP 9. That was garbage too.
So I retired my Linux Jukebox and migrated to iTunes. Then I got an iPod. Then I got a PowerBook. Later I threw out my beige boxes, learned Cocoa and iOS development, and now that's what I do for a living.
So if WinAMP 3.0 wasn't such a mess then I might still be a Windows developer. Thanks, WinAMP, for inadvertently putting me on a new path.
- Tyrant505 14y agoClassic. It is strange how us geeks travel down these paths, making us who we are...
- hammock 14y agoWinamp: it really whips the llama's ass!
- mfieldhouse 14y agomaehhhh!
- nostromo 14y agoYou're not the only one. I moved to iTunes from WinAmp when I got tired of meticulously organizing my mp3s into folders. That was the feature that sold me on Windows iTunes. Then came iPods, MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads and now maybe $10k+ later I'm hook line and sinker into the Mac Eco system.
- antr 14y agopure nostalgia. i think many of us share that very same history
- FixThisPOSSite 14y agoUgh, no thanks. I don't want iTunes ruining my filenames and directory structure with its horseshit idea of what's right. And to this day, iTunes doesn't detect new music that you add to your directory structure, which even EphPod did quite reliably. That's pretty pathetic. WinAmp sucked because of the asinine "skinning" that turned it into a game of Myst just to use it.
- jimhart3000 14y agoUnfortunately, WinAmp so indoctrinated me into manually managing my mp3 folders that even after I switched to iTunes, it was still years until I finally let it manage the library structure for me.
- rkudeshi 14y agoYou're not the only one. I finally gave in and let iTunes start managing my files for me about 2 years ago - it's one of the best computing decisions I've ever made. If you're still manually managing your music files' folder structure, I strongly encourage you to let iTunes start doing it. What you lose in fine-grained control (I never liked 'Artist/Album/songs' subfolders, I preferred a big list of 'Artist - Album/songs' folders) you make up in a much better listening experience.
- MattRogish 14y agoThis follows my rough transition, too. I was a die-hard Windows user. Winamp3 was terrible. Constantly cleaning up and organizing my MP3s was stupid and wasteful. iTunes, although "bloated", took care of all of that. I then got an iPod. Then another one. Then an iMac/MacBook. Now I'm all iOS (iPhones, iPads, MacBook Pro/Airs, etc). Haven't used Windows since, oh, 2003 or 2004? Really an interesting example of the halo effect at work. I bet a lot of folks scoffed at Steve Jobs when he described that very same process.
- tomerv 14y agoThe developers defended Winamp 3.0 for a while, but eventually they realized that it sucked. The next version to come out was Winamp 5, which was supposed to be a combination of Winamp 2 and Winamp 3: http://web.archive.org/web/20041204223306/http://www.winamp.com/player/faq/#10 http://web.archive.org/web/20041204223306/http://www.winamp....
- aes256 14y agoNow that brings back memories!
- gouranga 14y agoI just stuck with winamp 2. I still have my crapfest directory of mp3s with no organisation. I right click the folder, hit play in winamp and sorted. However, I don't use any portable mp3 players any more and still use CDs when I actually want more than background music.
- redwood 14y agoFor years I would download Winamp 2.8 from oldversion.com :)