Apple streamlines transition from browser-based iTunes Preview to iTunes app for Mac & PC
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.
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 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.
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 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
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.
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.
Still not getting rid of this.
Still not getting rid of this.
Nice. Just installed. Any more extensions you recommend? I believe I also found "Ghostery" thanks to your recommendation.
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.
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.
Also, I use the big brother of ClicktoFlash, ClicktoPlugin, which does the same thing, but with ALL plugins.
That’s what DoNotTrackMe is. Do they cover the same bases?
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*
“They” as in DNTM and Ghostery, sorry.
“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...