Most Unobtrusive Position for Small iTunes Window?

Amie

Amie

Mac Convert for Life
I guess I'll post this here, since iTunes is related to iPod:

I often listen to iTunes Radio while working on my computer. I've tried (pretty much with no satisfied result) to find the best position of the iTunes window. I have it set at "minimize" and also to "float over windows." That way I can see what song is playing, artist's name, etc. It saves me from stopping what I'm doing and clicking on iTunes if there's a song I like and want to find out the title and artist.

That said, here are my complaints: Top center position obstructs the URL bar. Top right position obstructs the throbber and Google search bar. Top left obstructs the Back and Forward buttons. Bottom center obstructs my Dock. Bottom right obstructs my Dock. Bottom left obstructs my status bar.

So: Where do you put it? Or maybe I'm just being to picky. lol
 
I usually minimize it to the dock, but sometimes I just leave it in the "mini-mode" that you're referring to for easier access. Since I have my Dock at the bottom of the screen, I usually just put iTunes next to the Dock in that little space on the bottom. Since most of my apps are maximized and don't cover the Dock, I can still see the iTunes mini-player at the bottom left of the screen next to the Dock.
 
Or, you could just control-click the iTunes icon in your dock while it's playing. It'll show the song and controls.

Or even better yet, download a workaround. Butler is free (and shows a semi-transparent window that fades w/ song info, volume, ect.), as well as Quicksilver (these are both primarly app launchers). Synergy is shareware, but it works very well.
 
I use the rather venerable but excellent X-tunes (bottom of this page: http://www.pol-online.net/index.php?page=freeware ).

Hold down a key combo (i use apple-/) and a floaty transparent window with the song info appears, you can also tap other keys to stop, play, do volume etc. I can use all the features I need and just leave iTunes hidden. I don't even have to look at the machine, i just do apple-/, tap right arrow to skip, etc etc.
 
ora said:
I use the rather venerable but excellent X-tunes (bottom of this page: http://www.pol-online.net/index.php?page=freeware ).

Hold down a key combo (i use apple-/) and a floaty transparent window with the song info appears, you can also tap other keys to stop, play, do volume etc. I can use all the features I need and just leave iTunes hidden. I don't even have to look at the machine, i just do apple-/, tap right arrow to skip, etc etc.
Click to expand...

the advantage of synergy over XTunes (and the reason i paid money for it) is the abilty to use any keys as hotkeys, not just key combos, turning your keyboard into a universal remote for itunes, regardless of what's going on. i have just F13 bound to play/pause, which also launches itunes. it's a nice big useless key, and so is perfect for this task, and i can find it in the dark :p

F5+F7 are track-previous and -next, with F6 showing the song info floater, with artwork that is grabs from the net. also, another XTunes problem is that the floater is almost always illedgible due to the colour of the type he's used. the synergy floater is really nicely customisable.

lastly i've got apple+alt+s for togggling shuffle, and spotlight for playing a specific track...

http://wincent.com/a/products/synergy-classic/
 
Hi Lt. :)

Synergy looks fun, though I have different needs as I'm on a powerbook. The F keys are small and only F8 is unused. As a result its going to have to be a key combo for me. That said it looks like synergy is growl compatible which i like. Can you turn off the controls in the menu bar though, as on my 12" alubook the menubar has got rather full.
 
what rez do you have the monitor set at? i'm running at 1280*1024, and put itunes into mini mode and stick it in the lower right, just above my dock (which just about runs across my whole screen) and size my windows to not cover itunes. and it all works for me.
 
Lower right corner works for me, as I hide the Dock. Launching happens through LaunchBar here, switching between apps is a matter of Cmd-Tabbing (and since Jaguar, I believe, doesn't show the Dock anymore), so I rather have it out of the way. The mini-iTunes window only gets in the way with my Adobe apps down there. But then I'm working and either have no music playing or know what's playing and simply hide iTunes completely. Btw.: You can still hide iTunes by hitting Cmd-H if the mini-window is activated, and Cmd-Tabbing to iTunes brings it back to front. Easy and quick enough and doesn't get in the way.
 
I hide my Dock, too. But the lower-right corner doesn't work for me, as I have my Forecastfox displayed there.
 
whats forecastfox? if its weather info, use the wigets in dashboard.

wait, hold on.

sorry, didn't notice that you were using 10.3. that explains why you have a weather app. well, what about your lower left corner?
 
I *hate* widgets. Annoying little bastards. Which is one of many reasons why I chose to keep Panther, even though my computer shipped with Tiger software.

Lower left corner masks the status bar. But that's OK, I think I've found the perfect place for it. Lately, I've just been sticking it at the top center of my screen. Sure, it partially hides the URL bar, but I rarely need to see that anyway.
 
There is a way to disable Dashboard I think. It doesn't bother me. Then again, I have an iMac G5 to handle the load. :p I should try it out on a G4 Mac just to see the difference. Maybe it gives a performance hit to older Macs that I'm not aware of.
 
nixgeek said:
There is a way to disable Dashboard I think. It doesn't bother me. Then again, I have an iMac G5 to handle the load. :p I should try it out on a G4 Mac just to see the difference. Maybe it gives a performance hit to older Macs that I'm not aware of.
Click to expand...

Oh, it doesn't matter how fast the computer is. Widgets just annoy the heck out me. Period.
 
room 10 said:
Have you heard of M-Beat? Give that one a go.
//
Click to expand...

Problem: M-Beat doesn't seem to list the one feature I'm looking for--the ability to change iTunes Radio stations without actually maximizing iTunes. I want to be able to view the current song playing on the radio, just like with regular iTunes floating window ... AND I want to be able to switch stations from the little window. Does M-Beat have that feature?
 
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