The new iTunes is pissing my off. It's just plain ugly. I am also noticing the memory hogging and such.

Can anyone recommend an iTunes alternative that has similar features? Really I just need the player, a library, and a playlist editor.

Can someone also recommend good, Apple-compatable music encoding/ripping software, or is iTunes perfectly fine?

I tunes is perfectly fine for encoding. If you do not like the new iTunes, but used to like iTunes before version 5 was installed, then uninstall it and install an earlier version.

If you do this, when you click on software update, it will want to update iTunes, just untick it from the list and it does not update it.

At some stage you will probably have to use the new version, especially if you purchase music via iTunes, but that may be a while off yet.

If you do uninstall the new version, do not forget to delete the iTunes pl (preferences) file!

Hope this helps

Regards,
Kyomii

http://www.panic.com/audion/
Audion 3
There are 1 or 2 others but not as popular.

Thanks, both of you.

Skins for itunes

http://www.resexcellence.com/user_iTunes.shtml