Apple iTunes 7

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: James Kim
• Edited by: Donald Bell
• Reviewed on: 09/15/2006
• Updated on:07/03/2007
• Released on: 09/12/2006

The latest version of Apple's iTunes software (version 7.3) expands the offerings for iPod users and brings support for Apple TV and iPhone into the fold. The popular Windows and Mac jukebox application has come a long way since version 6. Its integrated iTunes Store has added feature-length movies, TV shows, games, a free University lecture podcast section titled iTunesU, and a selection of unrestricted (DRM-free) music downloads called iTunes Plus. The recent addition of the iTunes Plus download section is getting a lot of praise from users who don't mind paying a higher price ($1.29 per track) to purchase higher-quality, more broadly compatible files. iTunes 7 does require more processor muscle than its predecessor, and many users, particularly on the Windows side, have experienced significant early bugs (I haven't). But the essence of iTunes remains: it is an intuitive and (mostly) all-inclusive refueling point for iPods as well as a media platform that aims to be part of your living room.

In this review, we'll take a closer look at iTunes 7's new features. For some background on the preexisting interface and feature set, check out the review of iTunes 6.

iTunes 7's enhanced interface
Like most iTunes updates, version 7.3 is a quick and easy install (download it here), and your media library and settings will remain unaffected. Immediately, you'll notice that the iTunes logo is now blue (from green), and the iTunes Music Store has been renamed to simply iTunes Store. Upon initial start-up, the program will automatically analyze and optimize your song library for its new gapless playback feature.

The interface is noticeably different due to the updated Source window, though the program's overall character (the sophisticated silver skin, the understated buttons, and the legible track listings) remains the same. Of the many jukeboxes available, iTunes is still the most approachable. When you dig a little deeper, you'll notice some radical graphical updates that put more emphasis on album art. While there's nothing original about the new design tweaks, it is Apple's implementation that keeps us interested (and occasionally amazed). Here's a breakdown of the new stuff.

Reorganized Source pane
This is the main navigation area in the left-hand column where, in iTunes 6, content genres and playlists spilled down in a semiorganized fashion. Now it's organized into distinct sections, such as Library (Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Audiobooks, Radio), Store (iTunes Store, Purchased), Devices (your iPods or other portable devices; the pink Nano will show up as a pink Nano), Shared, and Playlists. It feels scientific and logical, though experienced iTunes 6 users will need to adjust to the reorg (for me, it's the updated locations of Purchased music and Playlists). Better organization, yes, but you'll have to scroll down further, as the headers add several lines to the list.

The Source pane has been reorganized.

New content-view options
This one is rad. In addition to the plain-vanilla listing of your tracks and movies, you get two additional views. First new option: A simple list grouped with large album art; I've seen this before in Windows Media Player, so it's not original; it's definitely an improvement but will largely be ignored. The second new option, dubbed Cover Flow, displays a big resizable window for a virtual shelf of album art or movie covers, which reflect elegantly against the black background. You can scroll through and watch the graphics whiz by, or you can point and click one. Content associated with an album or a movie cover spills down below. As a new song plays, the appropriate cover will flip into place. Owners of slower systems will notice processor lags, though I think the benefits of Cover Flow are worth it because the realistic graphics give music an additional dimension. Of course, the key to Cover Flow is filling in the missing art, which hasn't worked as well as advertised (more later). Nevertheless, album art is back with a vengeance! Very useful, very cool, and very Apple.

Cover Flow is processor intensive and is more effective when your cover art collection is complete, but the feature adds a lot to the user experience.

Integrated device management
Now you can manage your iPod and iPhone settings within the iTunes interface rather than opening up a new preferences window to do the same. The main landing page displays a graphic and vital stats of your iPod or iPhone and allows you to check off universal settings such as ""Only sync checked items." Additionally, you can Update or Restore your iPod or iPhone from this Summary page. Content is managed by clicking tabs for specific types such as Music, Movies, TV Shows, and Contacts. Finally, at the bottom of this window is a color-coded capacity meter that visually breaks down Audio, Video, Photo, Other, and Free Space. Again, it's not like I haven't seen integrated management in Windows Media Player, but the use of a nested window rather than a new one helps. One more related feature: You're now allowed to move songs off an iPod as long as the recipient computer is authorized to listen to or view the content. So now you can transfer your purchased music (no MP3s) from your work computer to your home computer using an iPod. Simply authorize a new computer using the new Store/Authorize Computer option. This stuff just rings with user-friendliness.

Manage your iPod sync settings and more using the integrated device manager option.

Download Manager
This is a Source pane option that appears when you purchase content. Basically, it lists your selections along with a progress meter, and it's very useful if you want to reorder the queue to get the song or movie you want quicker. You can also pause a single download or pause all downloads, and it's a great way to keep track of interrupted downloads. I've seen this kind of thing before, of course, in everything from Virgin Digital and Windows Media Player to LimeWire. So Apple's caught up in this respect.

The Download Manager in iTunes 7 allows you to monitor your download queue; you can even pause a download or move selections up to the top of the queue.

iTunes Store
The newly renamed iTunes Store's heavy use of all-capped headers doesn't feel very Apple. Movies, iTunesU, and iPod Games have been added, and the front page is much more of a mixture of music and video. The album pages have been retooled for consistency, and album art reflects off the area below it. The Movies and TV Shows sections have been darkened and feature a main Cover Flow area where users can virtually flip through new and featured title covers. Personally, I think the new store is more difficult to navigate than in the past, but that'll probably change with more use.

The Album page has been streamlined; maybe it's just me, but the page with its all-capped headers has lost some character.

iTunes 7's cool new features
iTunes Store (formerly iTunes Music Store) has gone from boutique to megastore with the addition of movies, TV shows, and games. But underneath the glossy new face of the iTunes Store are some advanced jukebox features, which include the following.

Automatic album art retrieval
Though I've already seen utilities that can do this, iTunes will now add album art from its iTunes Store catalog to tracks you've added to your collection without album art. In other words, your artless MP3s will have album art once they've gone through the iTunes ringer, and that will make your music collection feel complete. That is, in theory.

This user-initiated feature (under Advanced/Get Album Artwork), just isn't working too great for most users. It is supposed to help both Apple (makes iTunes more attractive) and users (makes iTunes more useful and attractive), but if the "service" doesn't work well, why bother? Apparently, Apple is continuing to tweak some algorithms and back-end stuff to make this work properly, and I believe it. It's possible that you could use Get Album Artwork twice within 10 minutes and get different results. Basically, iTunes scans for Gracenote serial numbers and existing metatag data, so if you have a bunch of P2P-based MP3s (don't we all?), you'll definitely have some gaps in cover art, which you can still apply manually. Album art is based on what's in iTunes Store's existing library, though art for Nirvana's Nevermind and Elton John's Madman Across the Water was M.I.A in our testing.

Click Get Album Artwork to start the cover art fill-in feature, which doesn't work flawlessly yet.

Gapless playback
Yippee! Many music fanatics, especially those who like dance music, now can enjoy their music without annoying gaps. I think this is a valuable feature that should be implemented more throughout the MP3 world (the classic Rio Karma and the current Archos 04 series also do pure gapless playback). Only the new iPods (the updated iPod, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle) can apply the gapless playback settings that need to be manually stitched to each track in iTunes.

When you first install and run iTunes 7, the app automatically analyzes your tracks for gapless playback. It's not actually seamlessly bridging gaps as I'd thought; rather, it is figuring it out based on format and bit rate, the best method for ungapping songs. If you turn Cross Fade off, all tracks will be played gaplessly. If not, you'll have to multiselect all tracks in a gapless album, Get Info, then indicate that you want the selection to be part of a gapless album. So far, gapless playback works very well on both iTunes and the iPod Nano. Nothing is more annoying than encountering gaps in "seamless" mixes. Now that Apple's in the gapless game, it's a must feature for the competition.

You must manually tag tracks and albums in iTunes to apply gapless playback on the iPod. In iTunes, all tracks will play in gapless mode if Cross Fade is turned off.

Apple TV and iPhone integration
To further bolster its position as a touchstone in your digital life, iTunes 7.3 now integrates both Apple TV and iPhone. If you own an Apple TV, you can stream iTunes library content from computers around your home. The iPhone is not only integrated into iTunes, it's wholly dependent on it. Key iPhone features such as syncing contacts and calendars, data backup, and music and video transfers all happen within iTunes. In fact, you'll even need iTunes for the initial activation of the iPhone. Once the iPhone has been activated and its preferences have been set up, syncing the device is smooth and reliable. There's rumor that Apple will eventually allow users to purchase new ringtones for their iPhone through the iTunes Store, but we'll have to wait and see.

Wish list
Despite boasting many useful features in an idiot-proof interface, iTunes still lacks some functions that keep it from being a truly all-inclusive media jukebox. For example, the radio section could use some development. While you can find a lot of good stations in a variety of genres (I listen to a lot of Groove Salad), these are all simply links to existing streaming stations. Most other jukebox services, such as Rhapsody, Napster, and Virgin Digital, offer more advanced features such as customization, the ability to purchase a streamed track, and features like skipping and pausing songs. I'd also love to see a built-in line-in recording and/or voice recording feature. You can always accomplish this task in GarageBand (or other preinstalled apps in Windows), but a jukebox should be able to record.

It's Showtime!
At launch, iTunes 7 introduced movies from Disney, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, and a handful of other Disney-related studios. While the major studios are missing (presumably because they aren't seeing eye to eye with Apple's pricing scheme), the overall value of both iTunes' movie section and iTunes itself has been upgraded. And it starts with pricing. New releases will cost $14.99, while older titles will be $9.99 each. iTuners can also get a better deal if they prepurchase a new release. This will cost only $12.99 and will apply one month prior to the movie's debut, which will coincide with the DVD release. While iTunes' movie catalog is a fraction of say, Amazon Unbox's and CinemaNow's (which have major studio backing), its pricing is generally lower and much more consistent than its WMV format-based competitors. Still, many users will continue to purchase DVDs as they are better quality and in many cases, cost less. There is no subscription element, no burn-to-DVD for watching, and usage rights are similar to those of iTunes tracks: transfer up to five computers, sync with all iPods, and burn to DVD for archiving.

The Cars movie page; here you can view trailer, get a plot summary, and preorder for $12.99.

Movies such as A Bug's Life and Good Will Hunting (more than 75 at launch--kind of measly, but I expect iTunes will be too good for studios to pass up) are available at an appreciably higher resolution from the original iTunes TV show offerings of 320x240 (you'll get bigger files, too, with the average 2-hour movie being about 1.5GB). In fact, as of September 12, all movies and TV shows have a general resolution of 640x480 (H.264). This includes TV shows that were available at the then-standard 320x240 just a few days ago. You will have to purchase a new version of the same file if you want to standardize your library--predictable, but too bad. Apple spokespeople likened the situation to upgrading to DVDs from VHS tapes, though in this case, the buying cycle is much shorter. So what happens if and when Apple decides to offer movies in DVD resolution (720x480) someday? Probably the same thing.

Nevertheless, the content that I purchased (Flightplan and The Village) downloaded quickly (about 23 minutes, but it can take a few hours) and without a snag. I was watching a movie before it had finished downloading and on the "big screen" (our 15-inch laptop), the VGA video looked much better than on the previous iPod-centric 320x240, which made for either annoying small screen viewing or artifact-ridden full screens. The overall quality is decent, but artifacting is still noticeable. This is not DVD quality, and I hope Apple will up-res again to 720x480. I do appreciate that movies have been divided up into chapters.

Many movies are available in wide-screen format. Sweet. But I was wondering if any letter-boxing was going on since the movie files are 640x480. It turns out that wide-screen movies will have a resolution of 640xX, or in the case of The Incredibles, 640x272. That's fine on a computer, but on a 2.5-inch iPod, that's pushing it.

Good news for owners of "older" 5G iPods: Software update 1.2 allows for compatibility with the new games, compatibility with 640x480 video content, and the cool quick-scroll letter indicator feature. Gapless playback and search are not supported. iTunes transfers the original 640x480 file to your iPod--no transcoding. The iPod simply plays back VGA content at 320x240. So you'll need a little more space on your iPod today for the same video you may have purchased preannouncement. Also, when you pipe video out to a TV, it will of course be shown in full 640x480.

You'll notice that the iTunes Store now sells games for $4.99--these are definitely better than the old stock games, and they work only on the iPod (not the Nano or iPhone).

So far, we've heard of some problems with the Windows XP version of 7.3 not allowing changes to the music Library. We've had mostly excellent results on both platforms (a 2Ghz Macbook and a Dell XPS P4 desktop). System requirements have increased from version 6, including a 500MHz Pentium class processor with 256MB of RAM--we recommend more for both platforms--for Windows XP/2000, and a 500MHz G3 processor and 256MB RAM for Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. Like we said, performance is slightly sluggish, particularly when flipping through Cover Flow albums. Video playback (the most processor-intensive activity) is smooth.

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User opinions

WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW How would you rate this product?

• 3/10 Poor September 16, 2006

  by dleci (see profile)

  "Too buggy to have been released; wait for 7.01 or later" Read more >>

• 3/10 Poor September 13, 2006

  by lukehumphry (see profile)

  "A bad apple" Read more >>

• 6/10 Good September 13, 2006

  "Fantastic player but awfully resource hungry" Read more >>

• WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEWSee all 198 user opinions >>

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Apple iTunes 7

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