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iTunes smart

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iTunes hierarchical sources list Just another nicety of iTunes that I saw. This has been around for a while. It's very simple. Yet, I didn't consciously spot it. It's something that iTunes does a lot better than most applications. Can you spot it in the screenshot?

It's the hierarchical lists I have in mind. Note, how the second level of the hierarchy is only indented about half the way that most other applications would. Not only do I think this looks much better – it also saves precious space that is frequently wasted elsewhere.

September 29, 2004, 22:54

Tagged as iTunes.

Comments

Comment by d.w.: User icon

Yep, iTunes is one of the things that convinces me that Apple does still occasionally spend a little money on usability testing and human factors engineering.

For example, this morning I’m burning CDs from a playlist that will span multiple discs, and I love the way iTunes fades the tracks that won’t fit on the current disc, while hilighting the ones that are being burned now.

September 30, 2004, 13:52

Comment by ssp: User icon

That feature also made me smile when I first saw it while showing my mom how to burn CDs. (Personally I would have never tried this to begin with as I am already too computer damaged to expect anything but a ‘no can do’ message in that situation).

Yet, iTunes does it. And does it nicely.

(Although I remember the feature being a bit buggy. I think we somehow ended up with the first CD twice.)

September 30, 2004, 14:56

Comment by Colin D. Devroe: User icon

My iTunes, version 4.6, doesn’t have hierarchal menus at all.

September 30, 2004, 19:23

Comment by ssp: User icon

Colin: That’s another nice thing about iTunes. It won’t even bother you with the existence of hierarchical lists unless it really needs to. To check this out, get an iPod, use music library sharing (this may actually give you two extra levels – one if you’re seeing several libraries as in my screenshot, and another one when the library is loaded and offers playlists.

Or, if you’re not cool enough for those options, just activate the shopping cart in iTMS – as seen in the screenshot as well.

October 1, 2004, 0:54

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