Taking iTunes 9 for a spin

Yesterday, Apple released a new version of iTunes along with the iPhone 3.1 update.

I assumed the "Genius Mixes" would be a throw-away feature.
But it actually works very well. A sample screen:
iTunes has created a bunch of varied mixes based on the stuff in my library.
And... it did a good job!
All these mixes are very listenable.

The LP Album art thing still seems like a dumb idea though...

The iPhone syncing screen now has a bunch of new tabs and offers a high degree of granularity if you want it.
For example, you can sync just specific artists if you like.
(And they included a handy search box to help you find those artists more quickly.)

There's even an option to fill unallocated space on your iPod with music from your collection:

The ability to layout your iPhone screens is a very welcome addition to the Application management tab. However, I was unable to figure out how to completely delete an unwanted app.

All the interface elements have a little more polish than the previous version.

As expected, iTunes 9 once again prevents the Palm Pre from syncing with iTunes.

The iTunes Store got a larger visual makeover, but I'll save that for a later article.



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