toshiba laptop - media controls w/ itunes

[pills_PMD]

okay, so my friend has this toshiba satellite a105-s1014

it has media controls on it, like forward/back/play/stop and they only work with windows media player, but we're trying to make it work for itunes.

i've scoured the internet and it appears that no one can figure this out. is there a way to go into the reg to rewrite what that key points to? or is this not something i should fox with?

thanks

 

[TurboMirage]

same with my acer, except the volume controls work ALL the time.

 

[TommyTheCat]

Does the laptop have "Fn" function keys-like a ctrl/alt/shift key? I think for my HP (which has quickplay keys(accessable) and media keys(non-accessable)) the media controls are tied to the function keys, which I cant seem to configure.

If you had the ability to configure the Fn keys you should be able to change them. But I cant figure a way to change them on my HP yet.

 

[TurboMirage]

the acer came with software to assign commands to all the "Extra" keys but i deleted that shit

 

[TommyTheCat]

You should be able to download it from acer though.

 

[lsvtec]

I know that with XWindows you can map key values to applications, I imagine that there is a way to do it in Windows. Sorry I can't help you with how.

 

[TommyTheCat]

Well, with Linux i think there are programs, but for windows i haven't found any. And for mapping keys, you can do that easy. But as for remapping "Fn" or soft keys - whatever-the-hell - I dont think its possible now.

I just think windows got the upper hand on this one.

 

[lsvtec]

These should be "soft keys" or what ever Windows chooses to call them. If you can remap anything in Windows, thei should be no different.

 

[TommyTheCat]

Its not though. It has something to do with how the keyboard sends signals as junk. BTW the only way to remap keys is with programs not written by microsoft, so good luck finding someone who can remap softkeys.

But thats not even the issue. The issue is reconfiguring the keys, as they only work for WMP (at anytime, but it will work for programs that are chosen/highlited just not minimized and what-not).

 

[TurboMirage]

You should be able to download it from acer though.

yes, and i have the applications on cd. i chose to delete them. i only use them in media player anyways when im watching divx movies.

 

[lsvtec]

<shamelessplug>
It's easy with linux
</shamelessplug>

 

[pills_PMD]

yea, i posted on a toshiba forum and everyone says "cant do it, but not for lack of trying... no one can figure it out"

oh well... this is rubbish

 

[MaaseyRacer]

Remoto allows you to use a bluetooth or USB cell phone as a remote. Similar to the SailingClicker.
Remoto:
Remoto 2.0 - VersionTracker

SayTunes is a voice activated remote. No clue how it works as I have not tried it:
SayTunes 1.0.0 - VersionTracker

Other than those I have not seen any that use the proprietary controls that come with the various laptops out there.

 

[posol]

iTunes is rubbish

 

[lsvtec]

Werd, I use amaroK, much better and I certainly don't miss the iTunes store...

 

[MaaseyRacer]

iTunes is the shit, there are so many little features packed into it. All the things under the surface of the app are awesome. It is one of the first library based music programs. I used to use WinAmp/MacAST, and they were both lame, play list only programs. When iTunes came out, it was revolutionary, especially for Mac users.
The Album art and CD jacket printing is dope.
MP3, AAC, Lossless, AIFF, and WAV encoding.
The only somewhat reasonable DRM (for music)
Library system
Podcasting (I think it is lame, but millions of people will disagree)
Burning CD in your MP3 program
iTunes really made big steps for software. It forced competing software companies to pick it apart, and create software that had similar/better/different features.

 

[lsvtec]

No DRM is reasonable. I shouldn't have to limit how I listen to the content I have legally purchased.

iTunes is bloatware. It borders on being too heavy weight to use, expecially if you start to have a larger library. And worst of all it is based on Quicktime. All of those things you mentioned were only revolutionary to people running Mac OS, or Windows, several linux media players have been doing all of that (save for maybe album art printing) for longer than iTunes.

 

[MaaseyRacer]

Quicktime is the shit. Far superior to Windows Media. Then again I run Windows Media Files through Quicktime, and I have not booted into Windows in 3 weeks now. Seriously though the floating GUI durring full screen mode of a movie in quicktime is awesome. The quick video edits, and imaging tools that Apple has laid into it are awesome as well. As far as bloatware, that is the point of a faster computer to we can have more functional software, the more we cram into software the more bloated it becomes. The only software I have seen in recent years become bloatware where it is almost unusable is the current Macromedia suite, lets hope adobe curbs that one.

 

[lsvtec]

I meant the memory footprint and interacting with the GUI. It is a mem hog and the GUI is slow, especially right after startup. You are right that is the point of faster hardware, but it is only good if the addons are actually "improvements". Most of the GUI stuff that Mac does are not.

Quicktime is a pile of shit. It is huge, it has to run in the background all the time, and unless I am willing to pay for it (f-off apple, don't give me half the package "free" and make me pay for the rest) it is crippled. So I have this big, heavyweight process in the background that doesn't have even half of its functionality available. I haven't used it on a Mac, I object to being locked into their OS or face warrenty issues so I won't buy them. Anything you can play using the free version of iTunes/Quicktime I can play using amaroK and xine. Without the slow interface and huge daemon.

Besides, if you are so set on OSX, buy a PC, and install your favorite flavor of BSD on it. It is, after all, it's where the OSX core was pulled from. Most of what Apple added was the GUI, but you can quite easily make KDE look like the OSX fronted if you desire.

 

[TurboMirage]

quicktime on a MAC obviously works better than on the PC.