iTunes 8.1 imminent, big changes planned

Posted on 11. Mar, 2009 by Rob in Apple, Computing, Gadgets, Hi-Fi and AV, Technology

Faster, smarter, better, says Apple

Apple has tipped off iTunes fans to an imminent update that should boost the program’s performance, while also offering improved Genius features and more.

Other changes coming to iTunes 8.1 include:

Faster iTunes Store browsing
Faster iPod / iPhone syncing
Improved Autofill – now works with any iPod, not just the iPod shuffle
iTunes Plus import – you can import CDs at 256kbps iTunes Plus quality.*

* To be fair, 256k importing was possible before, but you had to customise the Import options to use it. Maybe it’s the default option now.

Hopefully Apple will also use the iTunes 8.1 update to squash some persistent bugs. These include audio dropouts during playback, and messed up Dolby Digital soundtracks with some movie downloads