Take Control of iTunes 10: The FAQ, Second Edition

Author: Kirk McElhearn
Publisher: TidBITS Publishing, Inc.
Released: January 2012
Pages: 173
Price: $15.00

Okay, okay, I’m convinced! I need an iPad! Trying to read a 170-page PDF file on a laptop or desktop monitor is suckiness of the highest order! I promise—next big bonus (yes, business at my employer’s has improved to the point that we’re seeing bonuses again, and if this first small one is any indication, the next one should get me real close to a new Retina Display iPad). I will not do another electronic book review until I get an iPad!

But I digress. This is supposed to be a review of another in the absolutely outstanding series of publications from the fine folks at “Take Control.” The book I’m reviewing is of a subject that is near and dear to my heart: the care and feeding of an iTunes installation.

I’ve got one of those nightmarish media collections that strike fear into the hearts of mere mortals. I’ve got over 22,000 songs, not to mention hundreds of podcasts and audiobooks. I store my iTunes media collection on my Synology Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, along with many hundreds of movies and TV shows which I manage through my media server app, Plex (another story for another time). I’m always looking for better ways of managing such a large collection of music, extracted from over 1300 CDs, hundreds of ripped LPs, and a long-term relationship with eMusic.com. I’m also in the process of migrating my venerable and much-loved Mac G5 tower to my rip-roaring new-ish refurb’ed 27-inch iMac (iMacs being the subject of another great Take Control title).

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