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So long, iTunes: DoubleTwist now syncs with iPhone and iPod Touch
If you're searching for a free alternative for iTunes on Windows, DoubleTwist - the handy media player for Windows and OS X - just became even more attractive with today's launch of version 2.4 that includes support for iPhone and iPod touch syncing.If you're not familiar with DoubleTwist, it's a company founded by 'DVD Jon' Lech Johansen - who reverse-engineered the encryption in DVDs and the iTunes store - that now offers a desktop media player for Mac and Windows.
DoubleTwist just recently announced their plans to add the Amazon MP3 store to their desktop software, and with today's announcement of iPhone & iPod touch support DoubleTwist is fast becoming a worthy - and highly competent - competitor to iTunes.
iTunes has long been an app we all love to hate. It looks like iPhone and iPod Touch users will now have a solid alternative that won't try to slip in a browser, codec, or who knows what else every time it updates.
[Via Lifehacker]
Update: We should also point out that, given Apple's cat-and-mouse game with Palm over the Pre syncing with iTunes, it's highly possible that Apple might break this functionality in a future update to the iPhone / iPod touch OS. Game on....
Comments
14
Subscribe to commentsMichaelOct 19th 2009 5:29PM
I've been using SharePod as an iTunes alternative for a while. It's free and works on my iPhone.
cSchugOct 19th 2009 5:56PM
Syncing is fine, but doubleTwist seriously lacks in everyday playback duties. It's a very minimal interface and really not much in the way of creating playlists.
Mobile Phone DivaOct 19th 2009 7:06PM
Media Monkey FTW.
They're still working on betas with the newer 3.0 OS versions, but people are reporting they work, perhaps with a few glitches because Apple keeps breaking stuff with all their updates. But MM is still a more complete media software concerning music.
BantamOct 19th 2009 7:27PM
"all of us love to hate?" I beg to differ, some of us just find it very convenient and a lot less fuss then the average tech blogger makes it out to be.
But alternatives are only welcome. There is hoping that Palm will eventually also produce their own media syncing software rather than clinging to iTunes coat tails.
kojo87Oct 19th 2009 8:12PM
iTunes is a resource hog. you cannot deny that.
Information CentralOct 19th 2009 8:18PM
Sadly, DoubleTwist fails right from the first launch. It wants you to log into some "account", and worse yet, it tries to use an E-mail address as a log-in ID. Dumb.
If you dismiss that dialog, there's no UI presented (at least on the Mac). You go to File/Library/Add to Library, pick a directory full of music, and... nothing happens. At all.
Grade: F
DavidOct 19th 2009 9:22PM
Little chance Apple will try to break this sync. Their motives are obvious given their clearly-stated business model. Apple sells hardware, motivated by software that best enables the hardware and creating a system-level experience. The Pre syncing with iTunes threatens this model, since iTunes was created to sell iPods and iPhones. Apple invested in developing iTunes and its store in order to motivate sales of this hardware. If the Pre can take advantage of it, it gets the benefits of Apple's investment at the expense of an iPod or iPhone sale.
On the other hand, Apple could care less if you want to use your hardware with other software. They've already made the sale they want and if another software maker wants to help them sell their hardware, so much the better. So, I think DT will be quite safe.
neteanOct 19th 2009 9:27PM
I didn't even get to install it, it tried to download and install .net 2.0 sp2.. FAIL. I've got 1.1 installed, 2.0 and 3.5 (but apparently not the exact right version of .net2 for this app)
fed up having to download .net runtimes all the time. Nothing against .net per se, but why can't 3.5- run v2 and v1 apps to save me downloading a new one every 5 minutes.
RUGRLNOct 20th 2009 12:37AM
fimally something to replace itunes!!!!
blasztaOct 20th 2009 12:40AM
Can I upgrade iPhone firmware or install app using this? I guess not..
Well I'm forever doomed with iTunes..
Reginald E JohnsonOct 20th 2009 7:38AM
I like itunes and I have Apple computers, It works for me! I also have downloaded music from Amazon, It works for me also so what's the big deal? It is a nice way for me to keep track of my music, videos and movies! One place to shop, no fuss, no muss! And if this program works on my mac, I'll use it too!
Drew GreenOct 20th 2009 8:56AM
Didn't seem to work for me on Win 7 x64. While adding songs to my library, it used about 2/3 of my Core 2 Duo cpu and 256mb ram (at one point). I needed to actually use my computer at one point, so I exited the program, and now I cannot get it to finish adding my library. Also, when I attempted to uninstall the program, it didn't remove most of it's files.
My grade: F
Tony TrioloOct 21st 2009 10:27AM
DoubleTwist is so lacking in features that I uninstalled it an hour after I installed it.
No m4p playback, hardly any options for customization, you can't even add or remove columns to the list display (file type, date added, etc.) A separate music player window opens up when you want to play a song!?! What's that about?
iTunes may be bad, but with competition like DoubleTwist, I don't think Apple has anything to worry about.
RestorationOct 22nd 2009 3:00PM
all I really want is some sort of "iTunes lite" program that syncs selected files and does nothing else.