While developers testing iOS 5 are getting to play with a beta of iTunes 10.5, the rest of us will have to be content with iTunes 10.3, which finally hit Apple’s website on Monday night and is ready to rock your Mac.
Apple pulled the trigger on iTunes 10.3 late Monday, after the iTunes page on their website teased the new version as being available most of the day while still pointing to the previous 10.2.2 version. But not to worry, because iTunes 10.3 is finally here for real, and here’s what you’ll get by downloading today.
iTunes 10.3 includes a beta version of the new iTunes in the Cloud service which Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced Monday as part of the new iCloud at WWDC 2011. “iTunes in the Cloud beta gives you new ways to get your music, apps, and books from one device to another -- wirelessly and without syncing,” the iTunes page reads. “And the iBookstore comes to iTunes on your Mac or PC for an unabridged browsing and shopping experience. With iTunes, even getting your entertainment is entertaining.”
So how does iTunes in the Cloud beta work? “Say your coworker just recommended a new song,” Apple proposes. “You download it on your computer at work, but on the ride home, you’re wishing you had that song on your iPod touch, too. Regardless of where you click or tap Buy, iTunes can automatically download your new songs, apps, and books to all your other devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. It even works with the new iBookstore on your Mac or PC. So you can browse and purchase books on the big screen and start reading them right away on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.”
Likewise, iTunes 10.3 also offers users the opportunity to download past purchases, and early reports claim that even applies to apps that are no longer available for sale as well. “When you buy a song, app, or book, iTunes lets you access your purchase history so you can download what you want, from any device you want,” Apple explains. “That way, if you don’t want your iPad to automatically download everything you buy on your iPhone, just choose the things you do want to download -- song by song, app by app, or book by book.”
It all sounds pretty great to us and a nice preview of the full iCloud experience yet to come this fall. You can grab iTunes 10.3 for yourself by heading to Apple’s website and downloading the 74MB file today.
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jruschme
June 07, 2011 at 4:28pm
Based on my experience, it looks like you only get access to songs you actually paid something for.
Over the years, I've "bought" a lot of the free singles of the week and a small number of other songs. iTunes is only giving me the option to download the purchased songs, not any of the free singles.
I wonder what gives?
kurrgo
June 07, 2011 at 8:29am
I have my iPhone and iTunes under a different user address and name than my iPad. Is there a way for me to wipe these out and use the same as my iPad?
Thanks!
So excited for this!
jknowlton
June 07, 2011 at 11:21am
kurrgo,
Did you mean thatyou have you Iphone and Itunes under different Itunes account? Just sign out of the store on itunes and your Iphone and log in with your other account.
