Will the new iTunes 11 still work for power users?

Most of the Macintosh users I know, purchase iDVD on disk.

Exactly, but that's all old stock. New iLife does not include it. So Apple is willing to annoy a fair number of people who still want a feature of Apple's software. They did it back with iMovie08 too. There is no a-priori reason to suspect Apple will keep any particular feature in its software.

If Limnos you were to upgrade your iTunes you might like to try this cool feature. You're missing out on AirPlay, Home Sharing and Apple TV features too, all added ~v.10.

For us to implement any of the above features would require a financial outlay of thousands of dollars. Not right now, sorry. We have one active computer in the house (a desktop), a stereo system that's 15 years old that frankly we almost never use, no home wireless system (why, when you only have one computer, and we subscribe to a city-wide WIFI service). We have a tube TV that gets turned on once a week. We get movies from the library for free. I'm the only person who listens to music a lot and I only do that when sitting at the computer. The only newer Apple gadget we have is an iPhone 4S which belongs to my wife for work. She doesn't listen to music on it so we never sync it to iTunes and she's not big into apps. Everything else she can do over wifi or data connection. She backs it up to iCloud and we download her photos using ImageCapture which works fine with OSX 10.4. Pretty much all the other upgrades to iTunes since 7.5 were largely in terms of supporting iTunes store sales. I don't buy music from the iTunes store primarily because for the same price I can get it locally on CD in full quality format, on a medium that acts as a backup for my CD rip. The majority of CDs I buy are from truly small bands that don't sell on iTunes.

I'm worried too! Leatherette on iCal bearable, but mess with my iTunes and there'll be tears!

iCal lost it's super convenient sidebar in Lion but it was restiored in Mountain Lion. So if iTunes looses its sidebard in version 11 we can expect it back in iTunes 12. In the meantime, iTunes 10 should see us through.

From what I can tell, a simple 1-click operation will become a 2-click operation.

well, it is intended to release coming October due to all new ipod line and iphone 5 will be appeared at store. apple wants to match two major release at the same time.

What day In october is the new iTunes 11 coming out? Because I am very excited to see what it is going to look like and work.

Initial Thoughts on iTunes 11 and Remote 3.0

As I feared, No voting feature remains (as from iTunes DJ).

Up Next is the alternative approach now, but you need to pair your Remote (2.x or 3.0) to iTunes 11 (via Home Sharing or PIN) and therefore EVERYONE doing this would have full control to edit whats in the queue, delete tracks, re-order stuff.

Not like the fairer and fun iTunes DJ.

Up Next for regular family use is better than more niche iTunes DJ I agree. So I can see why it changed. But then I don't see why the 2 systems can't co-exist.. Apple would just need to add back a special playlist, that unpaired remotes can manipulate via voting, without giving them full control. Job done.

Regarding other stuff. Playlist folders is useful addition. I have loads of library maintenance type playlist and I can now group up and hide away. You can also nest folders in folders.

General browsing in Album view in nice as is searching in compact view. I agree with earlier poster that having album artwork as a choice for the columns in list view will be missed.

I've had spinning beachballs quite a bit during Match, Store and Sync operations. Hope it's only just early initialisation issues.

Remote 3.0 is better overall. It seems quicker than earlier releases with a more logical layout. It still works with iTunes 10 for iTunes DJ.

I just noticed Playlist Folders was already in iTunes 10. lol

Even less for power users, eh?

agreed i will miss the functionality of dj. was fun to have at house parties

Limnos wrote:

I doubt, for example, many users create their own smart playlists.

True in my case, but only because I found that smart playlists tended to slow iTunes down. Maybe that changed with later iterations, but once bitten twice shy.

I've been a Mac user since 1984, and my gripe is that in recent years Apple software has gotten more buggy and gaudier at the expense of functionality. A prime example of this is when Apple replaced the simple, attractive, efficient Apple TV menu with an ugly mess that makes it hard to even see what you have selected. Form over function. And the news that the new 21.5-inch iMac will not have user-upgradeable RAM suggests that function is less and less on Apple's mind. The tension between the form and function that has long existed at Apple is coming apart at the seams as form triumphs.

My casual observation is that the more recent converts to Macs are more taken by form, while us old-timers liked Apple's superb functionality that looked smart. Since I have a young daughter, I think of this in terms of clothing. It's Justice vs. Land's End.

Kim Hill1 wrote:

For me, iTunes 11 is simply a disaster.

I won't go that far. Disaster would be if it no longer allowed me to see and play all of my music. It has lost some valuable functions (DJ) and gained nothing that I can see that is useful, but as with the Mac OS itself, the direction is ominous.

Satchmo, I totally agree. Apple is losing it. Look at Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5, now the laughing stock of the post-production world. And I make a living with these products! I'm not looking at alternative professions.

I agree.

Inability to put column browser on left severely hinders browsing for people like me - audiophiles.

Also, even customizing the column browser for playlists is extremely unweildy because you have to "Hide Sidebar," change your view options for the sidebar in any given playlist, then turn the Sidebar back on...

PLEASE LET ME put the column browser on the LEFT!

Brilliant, in 11 Apple has done with:

1) iTunes DJ with voting and playlist support via Remote app. Up Next is sort of a replacement, but it doesn't come with the previous voting feature

2) Text only library list, configurable columns for sorting, bulk edit -- essential for library maintenance and house keeping! => Gone. "Songs" is a faint reminiscence for the previous list view of the library. Search has become a nuisance as it will inevitably move you out of the "Songs" view. It will not display you album covers anymore. They've overlooked playlists where you still can simulate the text only library list plus the previous search function, but I can't help being afraid that Apple didn't change this yet because of lack of time. So for the time being creating a smartlist that contains all your songs eases the pain.

3) Smartlists are still there