Filed under: Apple, Social Software
Are these iTunes 9 screenshots for real?
The screenshots depict a Facebook menu that contains shared playlists, and then a user's Facebook activity stream with a shared item in it from "My iTunes." I'm not sure I wouldn't just block the My iTunes app on Facebook if I started seeing these - hell is other's people's terrible musical tastes, after all - but Apple would inevitably sell more music this way. It's like free advertising for the iTunes store!
There's also a screenshot of a Samsung device apparently syncing in iTunes. Maybe this could be for real, but after killing Palm Pre syncing with the 8.2.1 update, Apple doesn't seem to be two keen on third-party devices working with iTunes. On the other hand, maybe they want compatibility on their own terms, instead of through slightly shady mimicry of iPod device IDs.
What say you, Download Squad readers? Are these screenshots the real deal, or just clever fakes?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh said 5:29PM on 8-19-2009
There's also some screenshots of a version that contains Twitter and Last.fm support as well as Facebook. Apple integrating Last.fm (ability to scrobble, use the Last.fm database to create Genius playlists, radio, artist info) would be absolutely amazing and the only of the new features I would actually want. Being able to sync my Samsung Impression would be nice but not necessary. If they do add support for third party devices, they definitely have to open up and support more video filetypes. MP4 and MOV is not enough. I'd also like to see FLAC and OGG support but I know that that will never happen.
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Anthony said 5:34PM on 8-19-2009
I think that the screenshots are completely fake. More than likely "TV Shows" and "Movies" would not be on such a player because they are DRM-ed. However in the chance that they are real, then Movies and TV Shows are going DRM-free.
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Josh said 6:08PM on 8-19-2009
You do know that you can add your own Movies and TV Shows and Music Videos to iTunes, right?
KeegdnaB said 5:35PM on 8-19-2009
More reason for me to be glad I jumped ship to Zune and never looked back
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Butters said 7:04PM on 8-19-2009
Yeah, you and 5 other people...
KeegdnaB said 7:06PM on 8-19-2009
So you're saying there are only 6 inteligent people in the world?
DeoWulf said 11:15PM on 8-19-2009
Good to know I'm in the 6-man intelligence club. Although I don't see anything really bad about these iTunes screenshots. I may change my mind if my Facebook and Twitter feed get filled with "just listened to x on iTUNES! BUY it off iTUNES here [url] did you miss that url? It's HERE [url] BUY!!!!"
If there's one thing to be said about Apple, they know how to market.
chrishigh said 2:38AM on 8-20-2009
Although, if you're on a PC and haven't tried the Zune desktop, you REALLY should. My family has 4 iPods so of course I keep iTunes because I have to. But I never use it for playing anymore, it's so slow and outdated.
The Zune desktop player is fast, sexy, and all around a super and very well thought out player. I hope this is not really iTunes 9 because it's pathetic how boring it is...
Jason said 9:37PM on 8-19-2009
KeegdnaB,
You clearly not being one of them.
"intelligent"
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zzstud1979 said 11:01PM on 8-19-2009
His retort would have been great if only the spell checker came through. Other than that, I give a .5 touche!
Also, yeah, it's time for an iTunes redesign from the ground up. Of course, with such mass adoption, Apple isn't gonna mess with the formula. It's too bad iTunes is not a very good piece of software anymore (as far as GUI interaction).
And I agree, Zune software is far superior on many fronts.
-LOOOOONG time apple product owner and fan
R said 2:03AM on 8-20-2009
iTunes 9.. Now with 9 times more bloat!
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Product said 3:04AM on 8-20-2009
I saw the previous leaked screenshots and they did not look real.These screenshots, however do look more legit.
Cnet news gave a list of reasons why these social media wouldn't be likely to be integrated into iTunes. Their last story on the screenshots from boygenius pointed to post-lint blog and why image experts and points out defects in the screenshots.
I would hate for facebook to update me on all my friends music tastes too everytime they download a new song. Bleh. I hope it's only a facebook app on the itunes and won't tell me when they download a bunch of torrents in one day. And that I can block it.
My "iTunes" substitute these days are Banshee and songbird.
I wonder what the experts would say about these images though.
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Richard said 5:01AM on 8-20-2009
I'd guess they're fake as I simply cannot see Apple would allow non-Apple phones into their eco-system.
For me, I'm more concerned on whether or not they've fixed the "Invalid public atom" bug in Quicktime which prevents you from importing your movie files into iTunes.
There are plenty of "fixes" if you search in Google, but none of them work.
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John D said 8:49AM on 8-20-2009
I certainly hope Apple follows Symantec's lead by removing bloat. People complained about Norton's incredible resource-whoring and they finally started to (attempt) to do something about it. Perhaps Apple will someday realize that a 72mb installer for a simple media player is just too much. That's the only iTunes update that would make me use it again.
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