Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, iTunes
iTunes 5 shuffle got more random
Not like we haven't blabbed enough about iTunes 5 already, but I just wanted to get my angle in on one of the hot new features I feel hasn't gotten enough face-time yet: Smart Shuffle. I think with this new feature Apple has given us a powerful new tool to help end that hotly debated topic of how intelligent or random iTunes' shuffle really is.
I hammered on this feature all evening yesterday with a number of playlists and my entire 5274 song library of everything from Enigma to Nine Inch Nails, Nick Drake, Outkast and Phish. After listening to almost too much music, I'll toss my vote in for a thumbs up on this most powerful of shuffling features, as I can now truly let my library's randomness shine.
I hammered on this feature all evening yesterday with a number of playlists and my entire 5274 song library of everything from Enigma to Nine Inch Nails, Nick Drake, Outkast and Phish. After listening to almost too much music, I'll toss my vote in for a thumbs up on this most powerful of shuffling features, as I can now truly let my library's randomness shine.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jordan Merrick said 11:06AM on 9-08-2005
i liked what lord steve had said about party shuffle. It was random. If 2 artists appeared next to each other, then it just showed how random it could be. By controlling the randomness, you are essentially making it less random... geddit?
watch the webcast of the event and he explains it better than i can!
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random said 11:14AM on 9-08-2005
I really like this new feature. When I set iTunes to shuffle, the more often it plays my favorite artists the happier I am.
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heipei said 11:41AM on 9-08-2005
calling a shuffle function a "powerful tool", lol, i mean, cmon, its a shuffle function, people have been implementing this for ages.
interface builder is a powerful tool, spotlight is a powerful tool, terminal is a powerful tool if you know how to use it, but shuffle? its a standard feature, nothing more, nothing less, just one more tiny thing that lets your life seem less boring maybe
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Mervin Jensen said 11:52AM on 9-08-2005
Now hopefully they can add this feature to the iPod. I've noticed the random on an iPod tends to play a lot of the same stuff.
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Small Paul said 3:47PM on 9-08-2005
Jordan: precisely. People just aren't ready for actual randomness.
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scott Seifert said 4:54PM on 9-08-2005
where do you find this smart shuffel feature in iTunes I can't find it all??????
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scott Seifert said 5:06PM on 9-08-2005
where do you find this smart shuffel feature in iTunes I can't find it all??????
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scott Seifert said 5:06PM on 9-08-2005
where do you find this smart shuffel feature in iTunes I can't find it all??????
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scott Seifert said 5:01PM on 9-09-2005
Found it thanks....
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David Chartier said 3:15PM on 11-02-2005
Scott, in iTunes 5 (just released Wednesday) go into preferences, then the "Playback" pane. Hope this helps!
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