Apple Releases iTunes 4.9 With Podcasting Features (UPDATE)
Apple Releases iTunes 4.9 With Podcasting Features (UPDATE)
by , 5:15 AM EDT, June 28th, 2005
Apple Computer released early Tuesday iTunes 4.9, the latest version of its music sharing and managment software with built-in support for downloading of Podcasts.
The new version includes a Podcasting feature to browse, download and listen to radio-shows over the Internet. The software also transfers Podcasts to any iPod digital media device and allows for automatic downloading of a selected program.
The Podcast Directory, which is part of the iTunes Music Store (iTMS), features over 3,000 free audio programs, "making it one of the largest Podcast directories in the world," the company said.
The addition of Podcasting was revealed by Apple co-founder CEO Steve Jobs at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference last month.
Version 4.9 requires Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later and a 400MHz G3 processor or better. 256 megabytes of memory is recommended. The latest version can be downloaded manually, or via the Software Update tool.
Apple's also included an option for program producers to upload links to their own shows. "Then iTunes will automatically deliver periodic episodes to people who have subscribed," the company explained. The company also released a free "Chapter Tool" so producers can include pictures and Web links within podcasts.
Editor's Note: Apple officially announced version 4.9 later Tuesday morning in a press release.
Observer Comments
Apple has also produced a PDF with the iTunes RSS specifications...
http://phobos.apple.com/static/podcast_specifications.pdf
And yes, the TMO To Go Podcast is there. Sweet!
(my personal screenshot: http://files.rss.sd20.bc.ca/~wagnel07/podcasting.png )
I'd like to know if there's a way to resume partially downloaded podcasts, 'cuz I'm not seeing it.
Please don't let this be another example of Apple engineers only developing and testing technologies on machines with rock solid broadband connections.
Like iDisk.
I'm wrong, right? Tell me I'm wrong.
I took 2 minutes out of my morning schedule and downloaded iTunes 4.9, launched, and went to the Podcast page so I could see what this is all about.
My first impression is, WHO THE HELL HAS TIME TO DO THIS?
My second impression is..get a job and do something useful for the economy. What a waste of resources.
Is it any wonder productivity in this country is lost and companies are outsourcing jobs.
QuoteTiger wrote:
I took 2 minutes out of my morning schedule and downloaded iTunes 4.9, launched, and went to the Podcast page so I could see what this is all about.
My first impression is, WHO THE HELL HAS TIME TO DO THIS?
My second impression is..get a job and do something useful for the economy. What a waste of resources.
Is it any wonder productivity in this country is lost and companies are outsourcing jobs.
Lots of people make lots of time for lots of different things. No need to be negative about it. Hey, if you don't want to use it, you don't have to. I would rather try out a pod cast myself then watch reruns or reality tv.
QuoteTiger wrote:
I took 2 minutes out of my morning schedule and downloaded iTunes 4.9, launched, and went to the Podcast page so I could see what this is all about.
My first impression is, WHO THE HELL HAS TIME TO DO THIS?
My second impression is..get a job and do something useful for the economy. What a waste of resources.
Is it any wonder productivity in this country is lost and companies are outsourcing jobs.
And posting your gratuitously unpleasant comments here is a productive use of your time and resources, I suppose? Sheesh.
Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:24 pm Subject: Better descriptions, more keywords
I would like to see better descriptions of the individual podcasts, more keywords, so that I know what it is before I subscribe. Of course this is just version 1, and Apple will probably groom the system more as time goes by. All of that aside, I find the iTunes podcast interface pretty nice.
You all have a good afternoon.
You obviously have enough time to waste here. Get a job, loser!
QuoteTiger wrote:
I took 2 minutes out of my morning schedule and downloaded iTunes 4.9, launched, and went to the Podcast page so I could see what this is all about.
My first impression is, WHO THE HELL HAS TIME TO DO THIS?
My second impression is..get a job and do something useful for the economy. What a waste of resources.
Is it any wonder productivity in this country is lost and companies are outsourcing jobs.
I just installed it and I really like it. I have been sorta playing around with other podcasting programs, but I have been holding out for Apple to release something for it. This does the trick. The only thing that I don't like is that there is no way (that I have found yet) to automatically download podcasts to my ipod shuffle. I can drag and drop the podcasts to the iPod, but I can't have them auto sync from the podcast menu. This is a little thing, but 
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