For the past half year I’ve been using FeedDemon to subscribe to podcasts. It gets the job done, it’s stable, and it makes my commute and interesting learning experience. I’ve learned about software design, nuclear bombs, and what mashups are all about.
But it’s not as simple as I like it to be. Clicking on a podcast sometimes downloads it and sometimes doesn’t, and always takes me from the feed list to the actual Web page. The iPod play count works most of the time, so I learned to rate the podcasts I listen to, so I can easily tell which ones to delete. And deleting a show means I have to hunt down the MP3 file and delete it, before clearing the iTunes entry. A bit tricky when I’m juggling a mix of old shows to discard and new shows to synchronize.
Then along comes iTunes 4.9. The good part, it streamlines the entire process, it does all the downloading on its own, and cleans up after itself. And the really good part, all of a sudden everyone else is listening to podcasts, and when there’s demand, quality supply will follow.
But it’s not without its little annoyances, and I can’t figure out how Apple let these slip through the cracks. First, the iPod treats each MP3 as a playlist of one. So once I’m done listening to a show, I have to nagivate back to the main menu, then to the podcast lists and hunt down the next show in line. Not that easy when you’re keeping both eyes on the road.
The ratings are gone. But here’s the deal, most of the podcasts I listen to, I just discard. But the rate gems that are worth keeping, I want to hold on to them, and I want to share them with my co-workers. I want to rate my podcasts. Come to think of it, the only thing I ever used the rating feature for are podcasts. I already know I like all my music!
And, iTunes doesn’t allow me to share my podcast subscriptions. I always move the good podcasts to a different playlist, which I share with co-workers that care about this sort of things (mostly software design and management). But I also want to be able to share the podcasts I’m listening to right now. Unfiltered.
Apple — are you taking notes?
