The best article I’ve seen on the macOS iTunes to Apple Music app transition is from Daniel Eran Dilger at AppleInsider. “iTunes isn’t dead! It’s faster, streamlined and renamed Apple Music in macOS Catalina.”
Author Dilger opens by quoting Apple.
Don’t panic! Apple has issued a new support document clarifying that in macOS Catalina, ‘all your favorite iTunes features, including the iTunes Store, will soon be available in three new and more focused apps.‘
Noteworthy:
Rumors that Apple had plans to ditch music sales have consistently been wrong. Apple still gives users the choice whether to manage their own ripped files, buy songs from Apple, or subscribe to its streaming Music service of over 50 million songs.
This note from Dilger and Apple’s tech note are worth exploring because they clear up any possible confusion. Briefly, here are just a few of the many bullet points in Apple’s tech note.
- Music that you’ve imported or purchased will be in the new Apple Music app.
- Music playlists and smart playlists that you’ve created in iTunes will be in the new Apple Music app.
- The iTunes Store will still be available to buy music on Mac, iOS, PC, and Apple TV.
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod backup, restore, and syncing will move to Finder.
- Movies and TV shows that you purchased or rented from iTunes will be in the new Apple TV app.
Now you’re fully briefed.
More News Debris
• At the AppStories podcast, hosts Federico Viticci and John Voorhees interviewed Apple’s Craig Federighi. MacRumors summarizes and quotes Federighi’s rationale for iPadOS external storage support.
External drives. We’re willing to acknowledge the 1990s and go all the way back. You know, people still use them sometimes. I’m an AirDrop fan myself, but I understand there are other uses… we know with photographers, the ability to import their photos directly into an app like Lightroom is so important.
• Not all Macs will support Sidecar in macOS 10.15 Catilina. Cult of Mac explains. “Only a small number of Macs will support Sidecar in macOS Catalina.” Noticeably missing: the 2015 MacBook. Ouch.
• You know that the ad industry, via tracking our every move, is out of control. But most other people don’t realize how bad it’s become. This FastCompany article is a great one to pass on: “I left the ad industry because our use of data tracking terrified me.” Go ahead and read it yourself. It will terrify you too.
• Now that we know for sure that the 2019 Mac Pro is out of the average Apple customer’s price range, new attention for a headless Mac will turn to the 2018 Mac mini. This short article at engadget gets the discussion going.
How are your feeling about a maxed out Mac mini for just $2,000 now?
• Speaking of the 2019 Mac Pro, I’ve seen a lot of whining that it’s just too darn expensive. But this Mac Pro is not the computer for the rest of us. Jonny Evans at Computerworld explains: “WWDC: Mac Pro — the computer for the few.” Author Evans is spot on.
The US$999 stand for the new Pro Display XDR is, however, another story. “Display Manufacturer MSI Australia Mocks Apple’s $1000 Pro Stand.” Whether nor not you agree with Apple’s pricing, this is funny and inventive stuff.
• Finally, I submit this comic relief article on subscription services. “Apple, please, I am consumed with subscription fatigue.”
Suddenly, or more than ever, we’re subscribing to everything. We rent the world we live in. Micropayments everywhere.
Apple doesn’t seem to acknowledge this subscription overload. And in the middle of it all, dangled like a magic carrot on a string: a credit card, of all things, promising better budgeting.
Seriously?
Author Stein: get a grip. Prioritize. Budget. Make decisions about what’s really important. That’s what everyone else does.
Particle Debris is a generally a mix of John Martellaro’s observations and opinions about a standout event or article(s) of the week followed by a discussion of articles that didn’t make the TMO headlines, the technical news debris. The column is published most every Friday except for holiday weeks.
I agree JustCause, taking that feature ticked me off. It is like iTunes/Music was designed by folks who got fired for incompetence from Facebook.
Still no way to manage iOS, iPadOd, tvOS or watchOS apps on the Mac. What a broken user experience, try writing an app review on watchOS
BBC still seems to be implying, suggesting even that Apple is dropping track sales and going streaming only.
As far as subscriptions, Stein is right, prioritize, and decide what is worth paying for every month FOREVER. Step One, just say no to rental software. It is a total rip off, a protection racket disguised as a service.
I’ll tell ya one thing that I will do before upgrading, back up that the Music and Movie folder.