REVIEW: New ITunes Boosts Features [AP]
A year after Apple Computer Inc. proved that commercial music downloads from the Internet can be both convenient and legal, its pioneering iTunes software has undergone a revision that offers a flurry of advances — but takes one step backward.
The WP's Cynthia L. Webb wraps it up this way:
Dark Side of the Tune?
Apple's iTunes music service continues to shine with the news that its enhanced service helped set a weekly sales record for downloads on the site.
The company yesterday said people downloaded 3.3 million songs since it launched a version of the site last week with new features including free song downloads, nifty CD case covers and a way for fans to mix and post their music play lists online for other people to rate.
But Associated Press writer Matthew Fordahl (story linked above) noted a most interesting development in iTunes 4.5: "iTunes reduces the number of times the same list of purchased songs can be burned to compact discs. Most people never hit the old limit of 10 burns and probably won't come close to the new restriction of seven. But such rules seem silly given that an audio CD can be easily duplicated. At least the new restriction doesn't apply to songs bought before last week."
And more: "ITunes still sets the standard for music organization software and the ever-increasing population of online music stores. No one has come close to iTunes' ease of use and features. ... The improvements go on: 30-second previews can be saved in playlists that serve as wish lists; users can copy links to songs to e-mail to friends; Apple is even giving away free music each week," Fordahl also wrote. "All the improvements outweigh the tighter copyright restriction, but the fact that the rules are fluid lends credence to concerns that people are losing freedom and control over what's stored on their computers. It also begs the question: What's next?"
Meanwhile...
Apple's iTunes Breaks One-Week Sales Record [Reuters, 5.5.2004]
Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes online music store broke its one-week sales record after the computer maker updated its music player software with new features including the ability for users to publish play lists, the company said on Wednesday.
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