iTunes and I really don't get on - 100% CPU

If I wasn't attached at the hip to iOS devices I would gladly put every known iTunes developer to the sword.  But I am, and Apple don't seem to be listening to my calls to buy MediaMonkey.

So I have to put up and shut up (well, not so much shut up).

My Windows 7 install of iTunes has been misbehaving. Very slow to start and between it and the AppleMobileDevice service stealing 100% of the CPU. Killing the AMD service made the machine usable, just.

Eventually looked into the issue and low and behold plenty of reported problems.  And all the solutions were to run 'netsh winsock reset' << Wait, what!, I seriously have to reset the settings back to default?

Apparently different apps clash, Apples bonjour service being particularly susceptible. Getting Autoruns and clicking the Winsock tab only showed bonjour and HMA VPN server (highly recommended) entries. This machine is close to a rebuild when Windows 8 is on general release so what the hell.

Ran the command, reboot and bingo. iTunes restored, HMA Winsock entries gone, but HMA still working (?)

Did some more reading and it seems any type of networking problem will lead to netsh winsock reset. Not sure after, cough, many years of being in tech I've never come across this before.

netsh winsock reset = swiss army knife of Windows.

MonkeyTunes and Subsonic

Never an iTunes fan, in fact I'm a complete hater, I've always used MediaMonkey for local music management, and iPod/iPhone music sync.  Today in my never ending quest for home AV utopia I just took two more steps.  I think forward, but actually maybe not.

Wanting to control my music from the garden (yes I know iTunes has this) I found MonkeyTunes & SubSonic.

MonkeyTunes adds a plugin into MM which then uses the iTunes (irony) bonjour service so you can control your music from the regular iPhone iTunes remote.

Subsonic installs a web service which displays, and streams your music via the browser.

I'll probably use them both once.  But there you go.