iTunes 8

I make no secret of the fact that I am one of Steve Jobs biggest fans. Since I left the dark side about three years ago and consigned almost all of my computing junk from Redmond (I've kept a laptop and and old Dell just for navigation software) to a land fill I have meekly gobbled up all the hardware Cupertino can throw at me.

Obald acres currently runs a 24" Intel iMac, a 20" Power PC iMac, two G4 iBooks, an Apple TV, an Airport Extreme, three Airport Expresses, two iPods and a 3G iPhone. When my two daughters are at home you can add a couple of MacBooks to that lot. The Airport Extreme runs the WiFi network around the house; there is also an ethernet hardwired which I use for the bloody XP machines and a printer as setting up Microsoft junk on the wireless is just too hard - the Apple stuff you just turn it on and it works. The Airport Expresses stream iTunes from any of the computers to assorted stereos and powered speakers in various parts of the house. If you subscribe to the stupid theory that radio waves give you horrible diseases then don't come and visit as the house is also covered in 5.8 GHz portable phones and all the burglar alarms are Wifi. I love it.

iTunes has always served me well and with the purchase of the iPhone it grew a new leg with the Apps store. The last weekend they bought out iTunes 8. I'm a sucker for upgrades especially if the price is right, i.e. free, so I'm right into hitting the 'Upgrade Now' button. iTunes 8 came with all the usual hype about a new view for album covers - who cares?



And then there is the 'Genius' which will make up playlists based on songs you already have of a like type to the song currently playing and also recommend stuff you might like to purchase - yawn.

But it is bloody great. I've only got about 3000 songs in my library but The Genius has found some good stuff I haven't played for ages. That is not the point of course. The Genius is not there to cheer me up, it is there to sell me music from the iTunes Store. I can report it works like a charm. I'm spending dosh like a drunken sailor, it's all Steve Jobs' fault and I don't care. So far this week I have bought tracks by Jackson Browne, The Honeycombes, Al Stewart, Dire Straits and a whole album from The Hot Club of Cowtown. I might just go and buy the latest Steve Windwood Album.

If you can face the hidden future costs of something that is free it I would heartily recommend the upgrade.

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