Deliver me from iTunes

Foobar is pretty great, but you do need to work to customize it and add plugins before it can get to a state where it will do all those things easily.  I really liked musikcube, which was like foobar but easier to setup and get everything working that I needed (but it's also much less customizable). Winamp is probably the best in doing it all right from the get-go, although it's a bit bloated (and I think you need to install a plug-in to get it to transfer shit to the ipod, although there are ipod transfer standalone softwares that aren't bad). Most players will play AAC nowadays (unless it's DRM AAC which will require fiddling with almost any software other than iTunes).  Songbird I'm sure has improved oodles since I tried it, but it was very iTunes like in interface, and rather slow and buggy (but that was in the alpha or beta stages). I remember Quintessential Player was a fairly well liked, easy program too, somewhat similar to winamp.   That's all I've got. It's been a while since I've fiddled around with media players.

Cool - good info, thanks Hoth. Out of interest, which one do you actually use for your own listening pleasure?

I love iTunes. I've never had any problems with it and its a lot more organized than the alternatives I've seen. Plus easy sync with iPod/

Well, I don't. As I explained, I've had MAJOR problems with the thing. I'd put it down to my computer, except it's happened on two separate machines and I know a couple of mates who've had the exact same problem. A quick google search seems to confirm that it's not just a freak occurrence. I'm fed up of having to re-up songs, or remake an entire bunch of playlists because iTunes decided to crumble.

I'm glad it works for you, but it doesn't work for me. Bah!

Well, I'm on a mac now, so it's iTunes, actually (although it's a lot less awful on the os x platform).  When I was on the PC I generally stuck with foobar or musikcube.

Damn your enlightened hide!

I use WMP to play vids, but anyone notice how recently (past few months) WMP stopped reading a bunc of types of mpegs, and though they play their timing is all effed up? I used to use WMP for everything, but since I got my iPod, iTunes is necessary. I'm too lazy to learn anything new.

What can I say, I can't resist icons that zoom in when your put your mouse over them. Look, they're doing it right now! hee!

I'm growing to like winamp. but i don't see what the big deal is. it's just looks a bit different than WMP is all it seems. But i don't got an ipod or make playlists or any of that, so maybe that's where it' s better.

Since I've begun using a Mac, I've had no problems with iTunes.  I feel your pain, though, because I hated that piece of software on the PC.  Winamp has always been my music software of choice for the Windows platform.  That said, I began using iTunes because I was unaware that anything else would sync up to the iPod.  I just did a quick search, however, and turned up a possible answer: the latest version of Winamp supports multiple devices, including the iPod.  So perhaps this is an avenue for you to try.

Good luck!

Despite the foobar love from Hothgloves, I'm trying WinAmp - and I have to admit I'm quite impressed.

It syncs with the iPod easily, I can add and remove tracks from the iPod without erasing entire catalogues etc. I even just downloaded a playlist from my iPod onto the Winamp local media folder. The toolbar and little pop-ups at the bottom of my screen are a nice touch. Plus, it gave me 50 free downloads and a free book download at eMusic.

Okay, it's not the most attractive leper in the colony, but it seems to be doing the job rather nicely. I'll stick with this until I either get a mac or it decides to erase the very tunes that keep me from drowning myself in a puddle to escape this cruel, cruel world.

Thanks for all the input Cult people. Nice work.

...gloves?

What? You'd rather galoshes? 'Cause those are your options...

Well, if it's between those two, I think the choice is pretty obvious.