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What does iTunes 9 mean to you and your iPhone?

Is it worth upgrading everything?

What does iTunes 9 mean to you and your iPhone?
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Honestly, the third generation iPod touch announced by Apple last night is a big let down. Lots more memory silicon has been sledgehammered under the screen, and other than the processing boost to bring it in line with the 3GS's graphical abilities it doesn't have the camera or location services it deserves.

But Apple also took the opportunity to roll out iTunes 9. Cupertino's desktop storefront is always getting updates, so this doesn't feel like much of an announcement either, but it's actually one of the most interesting thing to come out of the cryptically titled It's Only Rock and Roll showcase.

iTunes is a bloated albatross, and version 9 doesn't perform any better on your average PC.

"Maybe you should buy a Mac!"

Shut up, Jobs!

But it's pleasing to see that Apple has at least made some effort to slicken the experience for iPhone and iPod touch users. The update, released last night, now features a drag-and-drop graphical interface for syncing your apps.

In itself, this is just a prettier way of ticking boxes in your applications list, but once you've upgraded to version 3.1 of the iPhone/iPod touch software (now reduced in price for the apparently flush touch users (upgrades from 3.0 on the iPod touch are free, just FYI)) you're able to rearrange your home screens from within iTunes.

This works in a similar drag-and-drop manner as doing it on-device, but it's much simpler and easier than shuffling icons using your big fat sausage fingers. Here you can see me moving my Pocket Gamer iPhone app to the top of the screen, where it should be.

The educational iTunes U has also been given its own Menu tab within your iPhone or iPod settings, as well as a more prominent presence on the store front.

Personally, I've never used this feature, and don't know anyone who has, but schoolies and nerds will probably find iTunes U's higher profile to be useful (though it's about time someone at Apple put it to use and learned to spell using more than single letters).

Syncing movies, music and other media is pretty much the same, though it's received a rearrangement that does seem to make more sense (not that this was a major issue before, but tidy is good).

The App Store and the rest of iTunes has also had something of a facelift, giving it a magazine blog/Web 2.0 visage that promises to make navigation and promotion of new apps easier and more accessible. Underneath, it's much the same, but the redesign is more like a web browsing experience, and puts more icons in the same space without really seeming any more cluttered.

All in all this adds up to several hundred megabytes of download and a couple of quid to iPod touch users.

So is it really worth the upgrade?

Yes, I believe it is. Don't rush to do it if you've got a busy day and don't want to sit for an hour or more sorting it out, but for a Sunday morning job getting yourself onto iTunes 9 and the 3.1 software beats cutting the grass, and will ultimately prove more productive - if only for the option to rearrange your Home screens using a mouse.

Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.