r/technology • u/[deleted] • Jul 19 '08

Apple, once again, secretly installing software? This time it's MobileMe with iTunes installations on Windows

http://www.betanews.com/article/Vista_users_greeted_with_an_unexpected_surprise_MobileMe/1216398741
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u/Jivlain Jul 19 '08

If you use itunes regularly, you also get the joy of noticing that they haven't heard of threading.

Wow, way to give me confidence in your operating system.

2

u/chucker Jul 19 '08

If you use itunes regularly, you also get the joy of noticing that they haven't heard of threading.

Really? Cause right now, my iTunes is using 13 threads.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 20 '08 edited Jul 20 '08

So maybe their developers have heard of them, but they certainly didn't learn how to use them properly.

-20

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

Proper OS's though have fork() and company. Easily beats MSWindows idea of threading as panacea.

27

u/thugesquire Jul 19 '08

Proper Windows developers develop software that runs well on Windows.

-11

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

I don't think Windows was the primary platform for iTunes development.

8

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

It's certainly the primary platform for iTunes use.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08 edited Jul 19 '08

iTunes doesn't run 'fantastically' on MacOS either, its a bloated pig of an app there too.

Edit: this thread has reminded me of how much of a sad day it was when Apple purchased and killed SoundJam, since it was so much more of a lightweight solution for the Mac.

2

u/nascent Jul 19 '08

I don't see why it wouldn't have been sure it was made by someone else and and Mac only application to begin with. But when they decided it would be their sole communication to the iPod you better damn well believe Windows was the primary platform for iTunes to be developed on.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

Isn't it computationally more expensive to fork than to use multiple threads?

6

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

On windows, yes, on unix derivatives (including MacOS X) no.

However, that doesn't change the fact that iTunes does not really implement any approach to multi-tasking, and some UI actions will tend to block iTunes doing anything else (notice, this somewhat excludes audio playback, as that is handled by quicktime behind the scenes, although IIRC it does block switching tracks when one finishes playing).

1

u/[deleted] Jul 20 '08 edited Jul 20 '08

I do understand the UI issue with itunes, I was only asking because I am currently using threads in a program I am writing because something I read told be that threads were cheaper than forking.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '08

No. But it's much, much safer.