Apple on Wednesday introduced iTunes 5, an updated version of their popular music jukebox software for Mac and Windows.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced iTunes 5 at a special event in San Francisco on Wednesday morning. The new version of iTunes features a refined user interface and new features like a new Search Bar tat lets users look through their own music, the iTunes Music Store library, podcasts and audiobooks.
Playlists can be organized into folders, and a new “Smart Shuffle” feature lets users change the “randomness” of shuffled songs. “We’ve got a lot of people saying our shuffle is not random,” said Jobs during the special event.
Parents who let their kids buy music through the iTunes Music Store can now restrict the sale of music with explicit lyrics. Album reviews are also added in this release. Apple says the iTunes Music Store now features more than 2 million songs, making it the largest online music catalog in the world.
Windows users can now synchronize contact and calendar information between their PC and their Pod if they’re using Microsoft’s Outlook or Outlook Express software, as well.
iTunes 5 is available for immediate download from Apple’s Web site and is free. System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later, though Apple recommends Mac OS X v10.4.2 or later.