Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

New iTunes a Lot Like Old iTunes

No reason not to upgrade, but program needs a bigger revamp

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 10, 2009 11:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Wondering if you should download iTunes 9, the latest big overhaul of Apple’s megapopular music manager? “Overall, I can’t think of a reason not to upgrade,” concludes Nick Mediati of PC World, who tried out the latest version, which includes features like Home Sharing and Genius Mixing. But iTunes “still needs something of an overhaul.”

Home sharing, which gives users access to music on other computers in their own networks, is a welcome but limited addition: It doesn’t allow sharing between other users or networks. Genius Mixes, a kind of radio station of your own music, are nice, but you can’t see which song is coming up. The redesigned store is “a big improvement,” but the player itself takes a few minor steps back, with various controls hidden.

iTunes 9 is seen in this promotional photo. (PRNewsFoto/Apple)

Apple CEO Steve Jobs talks about the new iTunes at an Apple event in San Francisco, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Which Entertainer Pulled Out of 'Inappropriate' Whitney Tribute? (NewsOne)

The French Government Wants to Tone My Vagina (Slate)

Obama Photo on Facebook Helps Catch Drug Dealer (HuffPost)

Hottest Women to Ever Appear in the SI Swimsuit Issue (Bleacher Report)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 8 comments

SalParadise

Sep 11, 2009 9:38 AM CDT

If you like the look and feel of iTunes, but can't handle the bloat you should definitely give MediaMonkey a try. I won't even attempt to list the features, but any music player with a built-in album art fix (that works!) is welcome on my computer any day.

SalParadise

Sep 11, 2009 9:35 AM CDT

iTunes may work well on its native system, but there is no excuse to ever use it on a Windows machine, especially when there are so many free competitors out there leaps and bounds ahead of Apple.

yummines

Sep 11, 2009 1:52 AM CDT

to Reader, Windows Media Player can rip music off of cds, and its free without requiring any kind of software downloads (unless of course you own a mac) There are far better alternatives to itunes (to me even Zune is better than itunes)

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

Valentine's Day Role-Playing Goes Very Wrong

PC World (Source Grid »)

Technology

iTunes • Apple • iTunes Store • tech review

More Newser Stories

Apple Asks Outside Group to Inspect Plants

FLA to audit working conditions at Apple suppliers

(NEWSER) - Apple, facing worldwide protests over conditions for workers who make its gadgets, says it has opened up its supply chain to a level of scrutiny unprecedented in the electronics industry. An outside group, the Fair Labor Association in Washington, DC, has been asked to audit conditions at the plants where most Apple products are made, and to make its findings public starting next month. More»

iPad 3 to Be Unveiled March 7

New tablet to come in 4G LTE version

(NEWSER) - Apple's first major product launch since the death of Steve Jobs is set for March 7, sources tell iMore . The iPad 3 will be unveiled at an event in San Francisco, and the latest version of the company's tablet computer will be offered in models that run on AT&T and Verizon's speedy next-generation LTE technology, according to the Wall Street Journal . Rumors about the new tablet helped Apple shares soar above $500 for the first time yesterday. (In other Apple news, click to read about why Apple really should bring its jobs back to the US .) More»

Google Gets Europe's OK to Buy Motorola

But regulators in EU, United States will monitor for antitrust

(NEWSER) - Google's $12.5 billion takeover of Motorola Mobility Holdings, announced last August , finally cleared regulators in Europe and the United States yesterday, reports Reuters . But as Motorola owns so many patents that are vital to the telecommunications industry, regulators said they would monitor Google to ensure it continued to license that tech at fair prices. Google has said that a major reason for buying Motorola was to get its hands on Motorola's 17,000 patents and 7,500 patent applications. The deal is also Google's biggest venture into hardware yet. More»

Apple Can Bring Those Jobs Back

Like BMW and Boeing, Apple can afford to have US manufacturing jobs

(NEWSER) - Apple's claim that it can't bring manufacturing jobs back to America rings false to Dan Lyons at The Daily Beast . "Apple says no, but of course it can: American workers build BMWs and Boeings, and they certainly could build all of an iPad’s components," Lyons writes. He talks to Clyde Prestowitz, a top trade negotiator under President Reagan, who says Apple has long benefited from American influence—and has "some responsibilities to the United States." More»

Whitney Album Price Nearly Doubles on iTunes

Sony blamed for UK price hike, now reversed

(NEWSER) - On Saturday, a Whitney Houston greatest-hits album cost about $8 in the UK iTunes store; but shortly after the singer was found dead, it had jumped to a little more than $12.50. The changed sparked a customer uproar. "It is just a case of iTunes cashing in on the singer's death, which in my opinion is totally parasitic," said one, according to DigitalSpy . But the Guardian reports that it was Sony, not iTunes, that was responsible for the change—which has now been reversed. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

New iTunes a Lot Like Old iTunes

No reason not to upgrade, but program needs a bigger revamp

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

iTunes • Apple • iTunes Store • tech review

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Apple Asks Outside Group to Inspect Plants

FLA to audit working conditions at Apple suppliers

iPad 3 to Be Unveiled March 7

New tablet to come in 4G LTE version

Google Gets Europe's OK to Buy Motorola

But regulators in EU, United States will monitor for antitrust

Apple Can Bring Those Jobs Back

Like BMW and Boeing, Apple can afford to have US manufacturing jobs

Whitney Album Price Nearly Doubles on iTunes

Sony blamed for UK price hike, now reversed

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

New iTunes a Lot Like Old iTunes

No reason not to upgrade, but program needs a bigger revamp

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

iTunes • Apple • iTunes Store • tech review

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Apple Asks Outside Group to Inspect Plants

FLA to audit working conditions at Apple suppliers

iPad 3 to Be Unveiled March 7

New tablet to come in 4G LTE version

Google Gets Europe's OK to Buy Motorola

But regulators in EU, United States will monitor for antitrust

Apple Can Bring Those Jobs Back

Like BMW and Boeing, Apple can afford to have US manufacturing jobs

Whitney Album Price Nearly Doubles on iTunes

Sony blamed for UK price hike, now reversed

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?