Roundup of the other new iTunes 7 features
We've given you a walkthrough of the heavy hitting new features in the just-released iTunes 7. We've shown you the new backup feature, as well as the slick new reverse syncing, and we've even explored how the new iTunes 7 UI could hint at an Aqua renaissance in the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Now, we'd like to round up all the other little changes in this new version. You know, the missing and relocated buttons, the new preferences, the tiny quirks and the new whathaveyou's. Here is a list of what else we've found in the new iTunes 7, compiled from tips, our own tinkering and comments on our previous posts.
The browser button (which also doubled as the Burn button) has been moved from the top right, next to the search box, to the bottom right corner of the window. It is also an intelligent button, for example: if you have set your burning preferences to Data Disc, as I have, the button will change to display "Burn Data Disc." Nice.
iTunes 7 handles video better - a lot better. Starting a video is much snapper, and so is overall responsiveness and performance. I finally feel like I'm using a competent video player - and check out that popup controller! Gone is the piddly little controller bar from iTunes 6 - now is the time of the sexy controller overlay, a la QuickTime 7! Out of sight when you don't need it, but appearing at the snap of a finger (or more accurately: a mouseover) for your beckoning call. Perfect.
The new, dedicated download manager is really, really handy. It appears to allow a non-customizable concurrent download limit of 3 files at a time, but the kicker is that the order in which files download is up to you. Users can drag and drop this list of files to their heart's content, dictating whether that latest podcast episode or the hot new single they just bought is snagged first. I personally haven't purchased anything yet, but we've heard that the 'start playing before finishing the download' feature works like a charm.
Others new features
The new 'multiple libraries' feature was slightly misleading; it's actually not much more than the fact that Apple drew some lines between the types of files iTunes handles, and separated them out into their own sections at the top of the media list (making the browsing bar introduced in iTunes 6 an obsolete feature). This is also customizable from iTunes' General preferences pane; you can toggle the display of these sections at will, and even add Audiobooks and iPod Games (for all the good they'll do you; they aren't playable in iTunes) to round up the new family
New metadata criteria includes recording skip count and date/time when items are skipped, specifying videos as TV/music video/episodes/season, etc.
Missing buttons such as EQ, the mini-store (if you were really missing it), the Visualizer, etc. seem to have been relegated up to menus like View. Best ye be learnin' some keyboard shortcuts, wethinks
For clarification: the new 'reverse syncing' option that Scott covered only allows for syncing iTS purchased content; not all those other albums you *ahem* ripped yourself. If you're still looking for the feature, it's towards the bottom of the File menu
This should round it up for now. Thanks to everyone for their insightful sleuthing, tips and comments. Keep the new finds coming in, and we'll be sure to keep the rest of the class on top of things if we uncover even more secrets of one of the largest updates to iTunes of the last few years.
