Is the Squeezebox Touch complicated?

Easy and I love it. I use Pandora and Spotify and could not be more happy. Never an issue and fun to the max. Spotify is like TV cable, but for music. I pay just over $10 month to play most any album that has been released anytime I want. Wow!

If you do a music server, there are some general complications that have nothing to do with Squeezebox or server.

One is getting metadata tags correct when ripping. SB system does not do ripping. You have to pick a program that rips to a compatible format (usually lossless .wav or FLAC for audiophiles) and makes it easy to get tags correct (song name, artis, album, etc.). HAving to edit tags after the fact is a real drag and downer. You learn to avoid it at all costs, but there will always be cases where some manual tag editing is needed. Best to do during the rip to get it right at the outset.

The other is backups. You have to maek sure you have something in place to quickly and reliably backup the files you rip. The worst is to lose a disk drive and have to rip (and tag) everything again. VERY IMPORTANT. Backup is another area that the SB system does not address, so you have to put this in place separately. Not hard to do, but not all backup programs are created equal and you gotta get it right.

in a nutshell, too complex and unstable... love it when it works...then suddenly stops...even from SD...requires reloading of music/ erasing of server files on SD...nowhere any explanation...

great potential... but need to be computer savvy

...then suddenly stops...even from SD.

The SD card may well be your problem. The whole Squeezebox series was originally designed as a "network player", not a standalone device.

It works best with LMS (the server program) installed on a well configured, stable PC.

I've used Squeezebox players for 10 years (starting with the original SliMP3 to the Touch I have now) and never once had the system just stop while playing music.

Sounds like you you have a double-whammy. Nominal computer experience combined with trying to use the unit in its least optimal configuration.

I bought one based on the reviews. I could not make it work with a windows xp pc, and now that i have an imac it cant even find the netwrk and let me get internet radio. Just an expensive paperweight right now. BTW the help desk at logitech is useless; they asked me to uninstall the sw and install an older version. It did not help. Buy one only if you are comfortable with computer and wifi networks.