Along with all of their other new releases, Apple has also released the newest upgrade to iTunes, with iTunes 10. The biggest criticism of iTunes 10 so far has been that people don’t like the look of the icon. I think the icon is just fine, and that new software is so about so much more than the way the icon is displayed. And with the new features of iTunes 10, the icon is really nothing to quaffle about.
The biggest new feature in iTunes 10 is Ping. With Ping (much like Bing), you can check up on your favorite bands and artists, look through any pictures and videos they post, as well as check out their concert listings. Ping also lets you show your friends what music you’re listening to, and read any comments that are left. Some have said that this is not only similar to Bing, but Twitter as well, and that Apple could be using this as their way to break into social networking. Not a bad idea, and not a bad way to do it either. Also, through Ping you can also buy tickets to concerts through TicketMaster or LiveNation. This means that people can now buy their concert tickets right from iTunes, making it easier for customers to get their hands on hard-to-get tickets, and making it easier for artists to promote their shows.
Besides Ping, the other biggest feature on iTunes 10 is the Playback feature. This allows you to listen to your entire iTunes library on remote speakers, all available through Airport Express. The biggest difference here is that users will no longer require extra equipment such as the Airport Express base station, so it’s really open to whoever wishes to use it.
There’s no doubt that when Apple decided to release iTunes 10, they really thought it through and redirected it in way that reflects the direction in which music today is headed. I’m all for it, and I think the icon is just fine too. For those who haven’t already, you can download iTunes 10 for free, here.