Apple streamlines transition from browser-based iTunes Preview to iTunes app for Mac & PC

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited July 2014
Consumers who arrive at Apple's iTunes Store via the web-based iTunes Preview service will now notice a much slicker transition from their browser to iTunes, as Apple has done away with the old interstitial page in favor of a new in-place method.

iTunes Preview


Rather than redirecting users to a separate web page when communicating with Apple's desktop apps -- often a source of frustration thanks to its penchant for opening in a new tab or window -- the iTunes Preview pane now rearranges itself to accommodate the notification. AppleInsider confirmed the change with apps from the iOS and Mac App Stores as well as media from the iTunes Store.

Apple has slightly altered the wording of the notice as well, no longer encouraging users to wait "one moment please." Apps are now "opened" rather than "connected to," and Windows users are directed to the iTunes icon on their desktop -- rather than their task bar -- in the event of a problem.

iTunes Preview's now-retired interstitial page
iTunes Preview's now-retired interstitial page


iTunes Preview was first unveiled in late 2009, giving users a way to browse iTunes Store content without opening the desktop application. Apple then added song sampling and App Store access in 2010, but there have been few other changes in the interim.

Apple has made a number of nip-and-tuck fixes to its ancillary web services in recent months, possibly as part of a campaign to tie up long-hanging loose ends in lieu of an all-out redesign under design czar Jony Ive. The company completely overhauled iOS's user interface last year and is in the midst of rolling out a similarly-scaled change to the next version of OS X, stretching design resources thin.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Wow, looks like Apple has been doing a shitload of work on all their backend services lately, which is great. With all the people demanding shiny shit, Apple understands that software is still the most important thing, as shown by WWDC and all the work they've been doing on the fundamentals of creating software (swift, metal, new APIS, etc)
  • Reply 2 of 13
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    They just need to offer iTunes Radio through a browser. Can't have iTunes on my work computer.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    jj.yuanjj.yuan Posts: 213member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mike1 View Post



    They just need to offer iTunes Radio through a browser. Can't have iTunes on my work computer.



    My company's firewall will block any radio/TV web site. Doesn't your company do this? In office, we have to use a traditional radio to listen to radio. Or, one can use iPhone, I guess. The company PC is useless any way.

  • Reply 4 of 13

    This is very poorly written and not clear at all.  It doesn't explicitly say whether a link will send you to the iTunes Preview webpage, or the app.  It talks about a webpage notification, but doesn't say whether that's an iTunes notification, or whether you have to have notifications turned on for the website in question.  Considering how scarce real news is, I don't understand why the author wouldn't take this opportunity to throw out more than a few cryptic sentences about this.  

  • Reply 5 of 13
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Still not getting rid of this.

  • Reply 6 of 13
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Still not getting rid of this.


     

    Nice. Just installed. Any more extensions you recommend? I believe I also found "Ghostery" thanks to your recommendation. :D

  • Reply 7 of 13
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

    Nice. Just installed. Any more cool extensions you recommend? I believe I also found "Ghostery" thanks to your recommendation. :D

     

    Here’s my list. Not sure if there’s any overlap in functionality (and if there is, I’d like to get rid of some), but...

     

    AdBlock, Ghostery, Disconnect (not the three on Apple’s site; it’s a combination of them all), DoNotTrackMe

     

    Get Off My Lawn (gets rid of social media buttons on websites), GoogleClickTracker (blocks Google’s callbacks on links)

     

    Beautipedia, YouTubeWide (always a rendering error on the first page you open in a new session; simply refresh and it’s fixed), Gentle Status Bar, BackTrack (right-click reverse image search with several site options), AutoPagerize (loads forums–not this one–and other multi-page lists inline below the first page’s content)

     

    Text2Link (double-clicking a plaintext URL will open it in a new tab), ShowPass (hover over a password field to turn the dots into characters)

     

    And, of course, ClickToFlash.

  • Reply 8 of 13
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    Here’s my list. Not sure if there’s any overlap in functionality (and if there is, I’d like to get rid of some), but...

     

    AdBlock, Ghostery, Disconnect (not the three on Apple’s site; it’s a combination of them all), DoNotTrackMe

     

    Get Off My Lawn (gets rid of social media buttons on websites), GoogleClickTracker (blocks Google’s callbacks on links)

     

    Beautipedia, YouTubeWide (always a rendering error on the first page you open in a new session; simply refresh and it’s fixed), Gentle Status Bar, BackTrack (right-click reverse image search with several site options), AutoPagerize (loads forums–not this one–and other multi-page lists inline below the first page’s content)

     

    Text2Link (double-clicking a plaintext URL will open it in a new tab), ShowPass (hover over a password field to turn the dots into characters)

     

    And, of course, ClickToFlash.


     

    Thanks, man. Great recommendations. I'll check each of them out.

  • Reply 9 of 13
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    Here’s my list. Not sure if there’s any overlap in functionality (and if there is, I’d like to get rid of some), but...

    AdBlock, Ghostery, Disconnect (not the three on Apple’s site; it’s a combination of them all), DoNotTrackMe

    Get Off My Lawn (gets rid of social media buttons on websites), GoogleClickTracker (blocks Google’s callbacks on links)

    Beautipedia, YouTubeWide (always a rendering error on the first page you open in a new session; simply refresh and it’s fixed), Gentle Status Bar, BackTrack (right-click reverse image search with several site options), AutoPagerize (loads forums–not this one–and other multi-page lists inline below the first page’s content)

    Text2Link (double-clicking a plaintext URL will open it in a new tab), ShowPass (hover over a password field to turn the dots into characters)

    And, of course, ClickToFlash.
    I'd like to add my two cents to those recommendations... Instead of Ghostery, I use DoNotTrack by Abine, which also offers a free e-mail aliasing service. You can create masked emails that you then configure to forward to your real address, so you can use these to subscribe to sites or newsletters, and if they begin spamming you, you simply delete the alias and poof, spam gone!

    Also, I use the big brother of ClicktoFlash, ClicktoPlugin, which does the same thing, but with ALL plugins.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by MagMan1979 View Post

    I'd like to add my two cents to those recommendations... Instead of Ghostery, I use DoNotTrack by Abine, which also offers a free e-mail aliasing service. 

     

    That’s what DoNotTrackMe is. Do they cover the same bases?

  • Reply 11 of 13
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    That’s what DoNotTrackMe is. Do they cover the same bases?


    I think we're actually talking about the same thing, I just forgot to put the Me at the end of the title :) I use that plugin in all my browsers ALL the time, even on my Windows boxes inside IE using the v2 of the plugin, and it works wonders to keep ad agencies, malware, trackers, and others, out of my systems.

     

    EDIT:

     

    Doh! Just went bad and re-read your original post, and I do see you listed DoNotTrackMe in your list. My bad, I just saw Ghostery (also awesome), and thought I'd give a shout out to DNT.

     

    *facepalm*

  • Reply 12 of 13
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by MagMan1979 View Post

    I think were actually talking about the same thing

     

    “They” as in DNTM and Ghostery, sorry.

  • Reply 13 of 13
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    “They” as in DNTM and Ghostery, sorry.


    No worries, my bad actually. Just went back and re-read your post, and noticed you did list DNTM, just didn't see it.

     

    One extra thing, I also use SplashID Safe by SplashData on all my devices and computers, to sync up my passwords. Coupled with DNTM, I don't think any single site out there right now has the same e-mail address or password from me. Everything has random-generated codes, and alias addresses, so a breach at one site won't affect me at any other.

     

    If only people took the time to safeguard themselves like this, identity theft wouldn't be as rampant as it is today...

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