Last week we were greeted to a new update for iTunes to couple the new iPod models. Since we probably all know that much, and have updates our beloved iTunes already, I won't waste any more time... Who here prefers the new Genius sidebar over the old Mini-Store at the bottom? ---------- In case you're wondering...Why do I even ask? Speaking for myself, I really found the mini-store helpful organizing my library. The old mini-store had the release date at one time, before it was axed for the rating system (fine if you don't have your own taste in music, but a bummer if you're obsessively looking for information about your music.) Then after one "7.-whatever update", it was gone, but at least the album art was still there for whatever track was currently selected. Then last week, Apple felt it necessary to not only introduce a new feature for iTunes called Genius (*FYI: I HAPPEN TO THINK GENIUS IS PRETTY COOL AND, ER...GENIUS!) to help introduce newbies to the wonderful world of making playlists. Cool, to be sure, if nothing else. But what came with it was a sidebar, to replace the bottom mini-store. And what is on this sidebar? - Recommendations (Cool! Last FM & Pandora on iTunes!); - Top Songs You're Missing (Cool! CMA [Complete MY Album] right here on iTunes! So far so good!) - then albums you're missing from the same artist... (um...ok. Isn't the iTunes Store arrows beside the track enough to lead you to that info? I mean, if you've got time to wonder what else the artist has, you probably have enough time to buy music anyway at the iTunes store. I don't need that information now. Mini-Store did that well enough, didn't it? Excluding the Genius feature, dare I say better?) What about the info about the song you've selected? Mini-Store had it with a simple highlighting of the track. How do I even know if it's correctly labeled following iTunes' database? Mini-Store could tell me that when it would wonderfully pop up, confirming how correct your info was. How do I know if iTunes has the album art listed? Mini-Store, again, would show that quickly, and unobtrusively. Would it have been too much to ask for an extra box to show you info about your track? Is that little morsel too much to ask? So now you know my motivation...Am I alone on this? So, which do you prefer? Genius Sidebar or Mini-Store?
