I’m annoyed with Apple this morning.  Actually I’m annoyed with Apple this week, but particularly this morning.

Recently I’ve been having a problem that is evidently plaguing many iTunes users across the ether:  The damn program has developed a mind of its own, and spontaneously launches.

Spontaneously launches!  And iTunes is a big, clunky collection of SIX programs (I just learned that this morning) and it can take forever to launch.  This is annoying even when I WANT it to launch.  But when it does it on its own, as it does several times an hour, it’s obnoxious.

And lately it’s gotten even worse!  Now it not only spontaneously launches, but it changes window focus to itself.  This means that, in the middle of a World of Warcraft raid, when I’m tanking Mimiron’s head and everyone is counting on me, my game suddently alt-tabs out into iTunes!!

Not acceptable.

I’ve searched for this problem and it’s driving many people crazy, and they’re jumping through hoop after hoop to get it to stop.

Now, I have a pretty cranky attitude toward products that don’t work, and then the companies expect me to spend lots of time troubleshooting them.

I’m not a beta tester for Apple.  The damn thing should just work.  And if it doesn’t, they should patch it pronto.

So, I actually got an Apple techtard on the phone this morning, and let me just tell you, this guy had more attitude than Bronson Pinchot at a Palm Springs White Party.  This is not an attractive, or appropriate, or acceptable tone for a customer support person to have.

I told him I had tried to solve the problem by uninstalling iTunes and installing the newest version and that hadn’t worked.

“How did you uninstall it?” he asked, voice dripping with Pinchot-tude.

“Uh, I went to the Control Panel and uninstalled it.”

He went on to sneeringly inform me that in order to make it uninstall properly, I had to not only uninstall SIX programs, but I had to uninstall them in a magic order!  The order:

1. iTunes
2. QuickTime
3. AppleSoftware Update
4. Apple Mobile Device Support
5. Bonjour
6. Apple Applications

“All of these programs install on my computer when I just ask to install iTunes?!” I asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s kind of pushy, isn’t it?  I don’t have any mobile devices that need Apple Mobile Device Support, and I don’t want Bonjour.”

“You have to have them if you want iTunes.”

Fine.  Tonight I will try this, but if it doesn’t work, I may be making a little drive up to Cupertino with a chainsaw.