MM4 review: "From great to terrible?"

[Lowlander]

You can disable skinning already (Tools > Options > Skins).

[KEP]

You can disable skinning already (Tools > Options > Skins).

Sure, but the compromises that went into allowing it are still there. You still have a menu and tabs in the titlebar. And that dead space between the max/min/close buttons and the main client portion of the app, which doesn't allow dragging, illustrates the hazards of owner-drawing non-client space. My eye isn't the best on fonts, but I think someone else already pointed out that a non-standard one is being used in the menus, too.

So really, that's not disabling skinning, it's just accepting the default skin.

[Thanasis]

There is a lot of bullshit flowing through this thread. I am sorry for saying this.

I spent one whole year to find a flexible player, that can get me the Track I want with less mouse clicks, easy track tagging on the fly, and able to customize it like I want and make listening experience worthy.

The most important task for me, was to find a player/organizer which offered the user an easy programming interface and a well structured user's manual for making my own plug-ins for additional and customized to my needs functionality.

Everything failed mizerably. When I say misserably I mean it. The only software closer to my needs, detailed down to the option of the "Mood" and "Occasion" tag, was Media Monkey. With a wonderful Scripting Website presenting the Scripting Classes, Objects, Properties and Events, beautifully arranged in the website including the last and spot-on additions of new Scripting Commands in the Media Monkey 4.0, man this makes Media Monkey 4.0 a heaven with unlimited possibilities for the user or programmer who wants to write extra programs on top of it.... No WinAmp, No WMP, No crappy iTunes can provide that combination of a complete player (detailed down to the "Mood" tag) and a complete programming interface.

When I ended my options to Media Monkey 4.0 I was wondering why hobbyists and passionate people think twice before locking to Media Monkey.

Yes, it is true that in my Atom Netbook it doesn't run as smoothly as Media Player Classic, but the flexibility Media Monkey is giving me, worths all the money...

It is not fair to come here crying to the developers instead of saying a big thanks for sharing such a wonderful software.

I am really creating great plug-ins with Media Monkey, limited only to my own imagination and the Scripting Manual is a Masterpiece on its own accord.

I would really say thanks for such a wonderful package..... Ohhh.... And thanks so much for adding the function SDB.Database.GetAutoPlaylistQuery(AutoPlaylistID) which gives you the f*ckin full SQLite query used in any single AutoPlaylist. For me, only this function worths other $200 on top of the $20 dollars charged for MM Gold.....

I would really recommend Media Monkey 4.0 to all Passionate Hobbyists who want to push their imagination to its limits.... Otherwise I would recommend Media Player Classic for double clicking and playing from Folders directly to all those who can't really imagine further........

I am really thankful to every single MM developer big or small.....

Yours Faithfully,
Thanasis.....

[pmh]

It is clear is that you are unwilling to explore MM4 and are not technically proficient enough to understand how it can be easily adapted to taste.

It took me all of 30 seconds to look up what collections are in MM4 and to begin to understand how they expand MM4's possibilities. Did you even try looking through the different screens in tools=>Options? Probably not, It's too hard for you. You're too set in your ways. It's probably useless to even try to explain any changes because you equate different with worse. Stick with MM3. Everyone will waste less time.

What utter nonsense. I suppose it's easier to attack the character of the person making criticisms than attack their points though, right?

It's not a attack on your character to note that you've shown throughout this thread that you are unable/unwilling to adapt to the slightly modified UI of MM4. Most of your complains can be resumed by "X changed in MM4 WWWWWAAAAHHHH". You show no aptitude for discovering on your own what took me 30 seconds for just about every complaint. Sure, it's a hit to your ego, but you really need to stop excluding yourself as the source of your problems.

[Eyal]

It is not fair to come here crying to the developers instead of saying a big thanks for sharing such a wonderful software.

I was wondering why hobbyists and passionate people think twice before locking to MediaMonkey.

I would really recommend MediaMonkey 4.0 to all Passionate Hobbyists who want to push their imagination to its limits...

True, true and true.

You are also right about MM's wonderful Scripting Website, and MM's near unlimited programming capability.
Like you, I KNOW that *no other player* can provide that combination.


Thanks MediaMonkey Team!

Eyal :~)

[Thanasis]

Hi Eyal.

I mean what I say, by experience..........

This comparison between MM and Winamp or Windows Pop Up Menus is really meaningless .....

Take care matey.....

[KEP]

Totally agree. The power is outstanding. The appearance is beyond secondary. (Which is why the skins just interfere. The whiners would be quicker to give up and move on if skinning didn't hold out some hope for them.)

[DJSigma]

It is clear is that you are unwilling to explore MM4 and are not technically proficient enough to understand how it can be easily adapted to taste.

It took me all of 30 seconds to look up what collections are in MM4 and to begin to understand how they expand MM4's possibilities. Did you even try looking through the different screens in tools=>Options? Probably not, It's too hard for you. You're too set in your ways. It's probably useless to even try to explain any changes because you equate different with worse. Stick with MM3. Everyone will waste less time.

What utter nonsense. I suppose it's easier to attack the character of the person making criticisms than attack their points though, right?

It's not a attack on your character to note that you've shown throughout this thread that you are unable/unwilling to adapt to the slightly modified UI of MM4. Most of your complains can be resumed by "X changed in MM4 WWWWWAAAAHHHH". You show no aptitude for discovering on your own what took me 30 seconds for just about every complaint. Sure, it's a hit to your ego, but you really need to stop excluding yourself as the source of your problems.

Are you even reading my posts?

I have had numerous issues with MM4. You are just assuming things because you want to jump on the defensive. Sorry that I don't think that the latest version of the software is the best thing since sliced bread, but you'll just have to find some way to live with that.

It is not fair to come here crying to the developers instead of saying a big thanks for sharing such a wonderful software.

So I can only post here if my comments are praising the software then, is that it? Software that I paid for BTW. I paid for it because I thought MM3 was great, if somewhat dated in its looks (cos I knew it hadn't seen a major update in a long time), but the first major update I installed was buggy, didn't show the bulk of my music (and to the MM defence force - yes I did look through the options and settings in regards to that), took over all of my file associations with asking, the micro-player didn't work at all, and it's even uglier than MM3.

Less than 2 weeks ago I made this post saying why I bought a lifetime license: -

I'd already tried iTunes, foobar and numerous others and was never really taken with any of them, then I saw someone recommend MM on another site so I thought I'd give it a try. I bought a lifetime license after the first week of using it. I don't actually use any of the features that the paid for version has over the free version, but I knew I was going to be using this software for a long time so I thought I'd support the devs.

So I'm not just here to attack MM in general. My gripes are solely with MM4 as I feel really let down by it - and not just by the look of it. If you have had a good experience with it and you like the look of it, cool - good for you. Had MM4 been my first experience of using the software, no way would I have parted with any cash for it.

[pmh]

It is clear is that you are unwilling to explore MM4 and are not technically proficient enough to understand how it can be easily adapted to taste.

It took me all of 30 seconds to look up what collections are in MM4 and to begin to understand how they expand MM4's possibilities. Did you even try looking through the different screens in tools=>Options? Probably not, It's too hard for you. You're too set in your ways. It's probably useless to even try to explain any changes because you equate different with worse. Stick with MM3. Everyone will waste less time.

It's not a attack on your character to note that you've shown throughout this thread that you are unable/unwilling to adapt to the slightly modified UI of MM4. Most of your complains can be resumed by "X changed in MM4 WWWWWAAAAHHHH". You show no aptitude for discovering on your own what took me 30 seconds for just about every complaint. Sure, it's a hit to your ego, but you really need to stop excluding yourself as the source of your problems.

Are you even reading my posts?

I have had numerous issues with MM4. You are just assuming things because you want to jump on the defensive. Sorry that I don't think that the latest version of the software is the best thing since sliced bread, but you'll just have to find some way to live with that.

Yes I read your posts. I am that uncommon entity on blogs I participate in. I read the whole threads from beginning to end before I post. I experiment with a product for a while & search though the available help before asking for help or complaining about missing functions. I have asked for a few functions in MM & been unpleasantly surprised to see prized functions/UI elements in MM change.

I see you complaining publicly about changes in MM that also annoyed me. I took the time to figure out how to change what I could of the new UI to what I wanted & adapted quickly to the rest. You? You create a thread called "MM4 review: "From great to terrible?"" filled with minor issues. Chicken Little, you really need to stop excluding yourself as the source of your problems.

[Dreadlau]

You? You create a thread called "MM4 review: "From great to terrible?"" filled with minor issues.

Did you even read the review?

Mediamonkey is my favorite media player.

But unlike most people here, I'm not blind.
I see when an UI is clunky.
When the window doesn't act like it should.
When the re-sizing is laggy as hell.
When there are serious rendering issues in the aero frame and aero player as well as with the icons.
When you can't even get up-to-date fonts everywhere.
When the program takes ages to load.

Sure it's nice that we can do so much with Mediamonkey.
But at some point you want to enjoy browsing and playing your music and your videos.

[Thanasis]

Well, regarding the slowness I am not blind either. In the early 4 beta versions the problem was much worse.
Now I am able to run MM on an ATOM netbook without major issues.
Yes MM load and Video Load times are not the greatest, but this is not a reason why you open a thread titled "From great to terrible"....

I have no much experience with MM 3 like I have with MM 4 because when I started to think seriously about MM I started with the MM 4 beta versions.
So if you have paid for version 3 nobody is owning you because you didn't like version 4.

Regarding the additions for VIDEO playback I think they were necessary to keep MM in "business".

Bye

[ceinj]

I've been using the beta version of MM4 since it was introduced about a year ago. I may not be like most other MM users, I use about 10% of MM's features and care less about the GUI and all about the functionality. I needed software that handled video as well as music and could sync to a host of devices. I could not find that combination with any other product - not even the better funded WinAmp. I just wished MM4 have been released sooner with frequent updates. There are things I'd like to see in the product but I know it can't be all things for everybody. But it's a close fit for me.

[Sebastian78]

I'm willing to sacrefice functionality over looks.

Wow, hard to recall anyone ever proudly proclaiming that level of superficiality! You win the prize.

With regards to MORE functionality in Mediamonkey vs better looks. I just want MM to look more polished.

OT: Loads of people sacrifice functionality for looks, the way we dress, the car we have, everything. Everybody can't walk around thinking really hard about all the choices one has to make. Do I like it? Yes, go ahead. No, keep looking. It's simple. But, somethings which are really important to me, I make a more conscious decision about.

Apple sacrifices a lot of functionality over looks, it's less user tweakable than say Win and Android. It's simple, you cant change to much, it's standardized. In a sick way, this actually IS functionality. It's the Apple functionality/usability oxymoron.

I use Plex on my mediaserver/tv set-up. It's BEAUTIFUL to look at, it's polished AND it's functional. I wouldn't use Mediamonkey for this if my life depended on it, it's too ugly (I'm sorry, but it is).

The MM crew needs to address these issues better or they might risk becoming a marginal piece of software for the few (more marginal). It's their job, they get paid money so it's their job on the line as well.....

[Lowlander]

There are plenty of people that do choose functionality over looks. Of course many choose looks, which is why Apple is doing so well, but many don't, which is why Android got a foothold in the market. Their first handset was really ugly, but launched an OS bigger than Apple's.

[Dreadlau]

There are plenty of people that do choose functionality over looks. Of course many choose looks, which is why Apple is doing so well, but many don't, which is why Android got a foothold in the market. Their first handset was really ugly, but launched an OS bigger than Apple's.

Implying that something polished is automatically less functional?
Why is that false argument appearing all the time in this thread.

MM doesn't need any cutback in functionality to improve his looks.

I listed some major issues with MM a few posts earlier. None of them implied cutting in any functionality.

Also the fact that you as a power user don't care for looks, doesn't mean that it's a truth for all power users.
Even tho you make it sound like it would be.

We're not asking for an apple-like dumbed-down interface. You're completely missing the point.