Notice Anything Different About iTunes Today?

Over the last 24 hours, Apple pushed out an El Capitan/OS X update that included a slight redesign of iTunes. They claim the new version (v.12.4.0) (a) is easier to use and navigate; and (b) solves the problem of iTunes arbitrarily deleting songs from user’s hard drives.

But back to point (a). What’s new?

• The sidebar is back, making it easier to switch between tasks and content. (If you don’t see it, go to View > Show Sidebar.) The sidebar also offers some personalization options.
• Within the sidebar is a better Media Picker, which is good for moving around through content (music, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc.). You can personalize the Media Picker a little bit, too.
• You can now use back and forward buttons to move between your music library, Apple Music, the iTunes store and more. Why they ever disappeared in the first place is a mystery.
• Selecting View offers more customization choices.

One thing that they’ve taken away is the ability to click on a song and choose “Create MP3 version” from the dialogue box that pops up. To create an MP3 of a song purchased from the iTunes store (Apple’s .m4a format), you have to go to  File > Create New Version > Create MP3 Version (This could be something that affects my road laptop, but if this is how the new version of iTunes works, I’ll be pissed off. Why make add the extra steps?)

This helps, but the Internet has alway weighed in, saying that the redesign doesn’t go far enough. Any real redesign will have to wait until v13.