Sam Oliver
Web site links to the iTunes Preview page can be obtained by choosing the "Copy Link" option within the iTunes application. The URL then takes users to an Apple-hosted site that provides a description, price and screenshots of any application on the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch.
While the iTunes Preview pages do offer a great deal of information about specific applications on the App Store, browsing for new software is not as robust as it is in the standalone iTunes application, or even through iTunes Preview for the music store. For example, clicking on "View More by this Developer" attempts to open iTunes, rather than redirecting to another iTunes Preview Web page.
While links to other applications are available through the "Customers Also Bought" section, there is currently no way to search for specific applications within the browser-based preview.
Users can, however, view system requirements, customer reviews, software update details for specific applications, and are provided direct links to the developer's official Web site and support pages.
Last fall, Apple quietly introduced iTunes Preview, which gave customers the option to view content from the iTunes Music Store without ever launching the media player. Shortly after, Apple added the ability to preview songs with 30-second samples playing from within the browser.
Speculation that Apple could introduce a Web-based iTunes service became rampant in December after Apple purchased streaming music service Lala for $85 million. Apple is rumored to be working on a new usage model that would allow consumers to access and manage their iTunes purchases directly through the Internet, on any device, without downloading the content locally, or even running the iTunes software.
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Amber Neely
33 Comments
Sweet! Now we've got two interfaces for the same thing, and the new one is less functional than the old.
But hey at least the Apple devs will be able to cluck about "web standards" (bow, scrape) for a few days before the reality of the above sinks in.
Like i said for the 30 sec preview going web based:
"A feature nonetheless, but not so useful nonetheless."
If you cannot yet purchase the app without iTunes, it just seems Apple is keeping some interns busy with such "features".
Hey People, I hadn't seen this before.Do you know where Apple ripped off iBooks?
Take a look of this:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...294773236&mt=8
Apple is just fucking ripping these guys.
What do they say:
Ain't that nice and generous of them? Not even asked. What shit is this?
It was pretty obvious this would happen after acquiring Lala.
Sweet! Now we've got two interfaces for the same thing, and the new one is less functional than the old.
But hey at least the Apple devs will be able to cluck about "web standards" (bow, scrape) for a few days before the reality of the above sinks in.
Like i said for the 30 sec preview going web based:
"A feature nonetheless, but not so useful nonetheless."
If you cannot yet purchase the app without iTunes, it just seems Apple is keeping some interns busy with such "features".
I think you two are being harsh. Apple could have gone the MobileMe route by releasing it "feature complete" to the public despite no external testing. I wish they would have released it to a few people at a time akin to how Google often does it, but they did it.
That methodology doesn't quite work with an open store but they can build it piece by piece. I would expect Apple will make a huge deal about it once it's complete. The second comings of the iTunes Store. Perhaps by then iTunes X will have the 64-bit/Cocoa rewrite it needs, but that seems like a September announcement.
PS: If Apple thinks Chrome OS will gain any traction they'll have to make a web-based version of iTunes to sync iDevices. Apple can't loose this potentially large base of users without risking future demise of their popular app.