Apple announces iTunes WiFi Music Store

It looks like you'll be able to do plenty more than browse YouTube and Facebook with the new iPod touch's built-in WiFi, with Jobs also taking the opportunity today to announce the iTunes WiFi Music Store. It'll let you search for anything in the iTunes Store, preview it, and download it directly to your iPod touch. That then gets synced to your main iTunes library for safe-keeping and, if the download isn't quite done, it'll even finish things up for you. Those less certain of what they're looking for can also make use of the buttons for featured music and top tens. Unlike the ringtones for the iPhone, songs bought on the iTunes WiFi store cost the same as they do in the regular store and it'll be available in all 22 countries Apple operates in.

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 5th 2007 1:58PM]

No wifi sync? :(

[Nathan Friedly @ Sep 5th 2007 2:07PM]

Reverse sync, now that's good. That was one of the things that appalled me about itunes: I plugged it into my other computer and watched as it DELETED all of my music when it was "syncing".

//wants wifi sync also

[BandB @ Sep 5th 2007 2:11PM]

I thougt it warns you before syncing if the iPod is synced to another computor

[Nathan Friedly @ Sep 5th 2007 3:20PM]

yes, but before this experience, "sync" meant to me "copy over anything new" not "delete everything on your ipod"

[MacGuru @ Sep 5th 2007 4:47PM]

Sound to me like you guys need to learn what Sync really means. If you delete it off your computer it deletes it off your ipod. Plain and simple.
Or you can always get a Zune! :D NOT!

[Brad @ Sep 5th 2007 7:35PM]

"Sound to me like you guys need to learn what Sync really means"

Hmm....sounds to me like 'Macguru' needs to learn what sync really means.

If you have a multi-source sync, as in two computers and one mobile device, a sync should copy files which exist on either device to its partner. Files which exist on both machines should be compared and either ask for instructions, or default to placing the newest file on both machines.

The iPod, and iTunes, DO NOT SYNC. Whatever the iPod has been plugged into most recently, it simply WIPES EXISTING DATA. Have one song on your work computer you want to copy over to your iPod? Too bad, pressing the poorly-named "SYNC" button will wipe all the data first, THEN copy the file.

It's pitiful to see someone calling themselves "guru", and even criticizing the "knowledge" of others, have such a poor understanding of a very basic computing principal. Does the "mac" become a negative qualifier when placed in front of Guru? It does with many other words. "Mac-poweruser" "Mac-friends" "Mac-expert" "Mac-compatible"

Get off your high horse until the company you so vehemently love makes a product that works the way it's supposed to.

[MacGuru @ Sep 11th 2007 7:01PM]

@Brad

I take it you're 16 years old? Ok "Brad".. stop bashing people that insult you by their intelligence by quoting your 1st year computer manuals. There are various syncing schemes. Apparently your teacher hasn't gotten to that chapter yet. If I have 1 new song on my Mac that I need to put on my ipod that has over 20 gigs of data on it, it does not delete the 20 gigs and then re-copy all songs + the 1 new one to it again. I would think such a self-proclaimed expert like yourself would know how to do the math, it would take longer that 15 seconds or so to copy 20 gigs....

Maybe we can "shoot it out" here.. You can ask me one mac question and I will ask you one. I guarantee you won't know the answer.

[crycry @ Sep 5th 2007 2:11PM]

podcasts? Yes, I actually listen to way too many podcasts.

[Jugomugo @ Sep 5th 2007 2:18PM]

Grabbing podcasts from WiFi would be awesome. I can get my NPR fix on without even going to my computer.

[Fatima @ Sep 5th 2007 2:12PM]

Sweetness! WoW, there was a lot more that came out today than I expected.

[muaddib420 @ Sep 5th 2007 2:13PM]

IMHO, this is bigger news than any new hardware. the ability to buy songs without syncing to a computer is the holy grail of portable music and video!

what i wonder is how darned slow it must be to download a video via EDGE!

[Bazza @ Sep 5th 2007 2:48PM]

See Nokia Ovi

[Steve @ Sep 6th 2007 3:25PM]

Umm.. yea, so can I. That's what I have a radio for.

[Kaine @ Sep 5th 2007 4:49PM]

Apple is a corporate whore. First Nike, now Starbucks??

I swear, Apple's products are making us more and more dependent on technology. Pretty soon we'll be relying way too much on WiFi.

Download songs playing in Starbucks?? Apple's getting into social networking now? Apple's a BITCH. They study Microsoft's every move, wait and see if what they do is a success, and get on the bandwagon. Zune flopped, but I give it credit for coming up with the original concept of built-in wifi in music players.

Apple disgusts me with their strategy of trying to make money from EVERYTHING possible = ringtones, games, 802.11n enabler, you name it!

[bl0nde @ Sep 5th 2007 3:06PM]

Was it not the Sansa or an Archos player that first had wifi built in?

[Scott @ Sep 5th 2007 3:17PM]

*Apple* studying *Microsoft*! Now THERE's a new one. The Zune was a completely original idea, honest!!

[muaddib420 @ Sep 5th 2007 3:23PM]

yeah, they disgust me too! they should be GIVING away all of their products! it's not like it took any time or effort to make any of their iPods, games, software!

[Tony @ Sep 5th 2007 3:24PM]

"Apple disgusts me with their strategy of trying to make money from EVERYTHING possible"

Darn that CORPORATION. Why exactly do you think Apple exists? As touchy-feely as their marketing can get, I think their shareholders prefer the making money approach to business they currently employ. If you don't like a company, don't buy their products. Or come here to whine about it. See, you can do anything!

[MacGuru @ Sep 5th 2007 4:47PM]

One corporation that really stinks is Microsoft. They started by stealing QDOS, renamed it MSDOS and 30+ years later, Windows is still stuck with that crappy OS. Don't blame Apple for taking some wind out of Microsoft's sails. Windows 3.11 that was real original right? "nothing like" the Mac right? Learn a little more about computing history before you come blast your "knowledge" here.

[Brad @ Sep 5th 2007 7:36PM]

Dear Applefanboy ____MacGuru____,

This post is a form letter in response to:
the above post

You are getting a form letter because:
[ ]Your comments about Microsoft/Bill Gates were irrelevant to the current topic
[ ]Steve Jobs is not a religious icon
[x]Your facts are blatantly false and need review
[ ]You have blatantly overstated Apple's market share, especially internationally.
[x]You make unsubstantiated claims of theft of ideas
[x]You think Apple invented the GUI
[ ]You think Apple invented the Mouse
[ ]You think Apple invented the Taskbar
[ ]You think Apple invented the MP3 Player
[ ]You think OS choice is a reflection of character, not preference
[ ]Other (rarely used)

In the future, you should:
[x]Bother searching on Google before you post
[ ]Allow other people to purchase different things than you and realize that consumer choice is a good thing.
[ ]Try to stay on the topic you are replying to
[x]Remove the Apple/Mac/i/Steve/pod from your screen name
[x]Bother reading the Wikipedia article on Microsoft
[x]Recall that MS wrote more than half of the code on the original Apple computers
[ ]Say nothing in a similar situation
[x]Not begin your posts with intentionally inflammatory statements.
[x]Not end your posts with intentionally inflammatory statements.

If you have any further questions, please respond to this post in a calm and rational manner and it will be addressed by one of the billions of people in the world who don't think that an operating system is a lifestyle choice.

----
This form was not written on a Microsoft Product or by a Microsoft Employee.
----

[korockid @ Sep 6th 2007 4:38AM]

brilliant.

[MacGuru @ Sep 19th 2007 3:27PM]

@ Brad

Dear Microsoft Wiseass ____Brad____,

This post is a form letter in response to:
the above post

You are getting a form letter because:
[x]Your response is not worthy of a real person's time
[x]Bill Gates is not a religious icon
[x]Speaking of other icons, Bill stole those too
[x]Your facts are blatantly false and need review
[ ]You have blatantly overstated Apple's market share, especially internationally.
[x]You make unsubstantiated claims of theft of ideas
[ ]You think Apple invented the GUI
[ ]You think Apple invented the Mouse
[x]You think Apple invented the Taskbar, but there is no taskbar in Mac OS YOU MORON!
[x]You think Apple invented AAC
[ ]You think OS choice is a reflection of character, not preference
[x]You think Windows is a status symbol...
[x]You think there is a link between the amount of potential viruses in a system and penis size
[ ]Other (rarely used)

In the future, you should:
[x]Bother searching on MSN before you post (haha)
[x]Shut your mouth when you think someone else has it right
[x]Try to stay on the topic you are replying to
[ ]Remove the Apple/Mac/i/Steve/pod from your screen name
[x]Bother reading the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_synchronization
Especially the ONE WAY SYNC portion...
[x]Recall that MS wrote less than half of the code in MS DOS. They stole the other half.
[ ]Say nothing in a similar situation
[ ]Not begin your posts with intentionally inflammatory statements.
[ ]Not end your posts with intentionally inflammatory statements.
[x]Not fill your posts with idiotic text so as to mask your ineptness on the subject

If you have any further questions, please send them to somebody that is actually less intelligent than you, however difficult that may be.

----
This form was written on an entirely Microsoft free environment.
----

[Ron Huber @ Dec 4th 2007 5:57AM]

I have Apple ipod 16GB, How do I remove songs from my ipod.
I have no problem downloading music, just can't remove old ones.

[soldierx40k @ Dec 21st 2007 10:59PM]

Wow, Macguru. That's really original! I wish no-one had written that before!

I think the one thing that everyone can deduce from the status of OS's today is that they both suck. Windows has viruses and macs have nothing. Windows have hardware upgrade compatability issues and macs are unable to upgrade hardware period. We're going to start the OS religious crusades soon. Pick your side carefully, my friends!

[Missy @ Apr 14th 2008 10:32PM]

is it true that you have to pay to have internet on the ipod touch?