iTunes from Microsoft Store: A Mixed Bag of Emotions

As I sit down to write about iTunes, courtesy of the Microsoft Store, my mind wanders back to its tumultuous past. To be honest, there isn't much more to say about it, as all the cruft that once plagued our computers is now neatly baked into the software itself. However, some features like shared libraries, which required Apple Application Support (AAS) and Bonjour, are still present.

One notable improvement is the absence of Apple Software Update, which has been replaced by the Microsoft Store app for handling software updates. This change has brought about a welcome simplicity in managing software updates.

On a separate note, uninstalling the Store edition of iTunes takes an impressive three seconds, thanks to Microsoft's guidelines for apps that utilize Project Centennial. In contrast, uninstalling the traditional version was a painstaking process that consumed nearly half an hour of my time, as I had to individually remove iTunes, Bonjour, AAS (both 32-bit and 64-bit versions), and Apple Software Update.

The bundle of programs that Apple included with iTunes also left me frustrated. While iTunes itself has never caused any system freezes or slowdowns, its bulky size and slow opening times are still drawbacks.

In the end, my decade-long experience with iTunes has been lukewarm at best. I primarily use it to configure my parents' iPads, which is reasonably straightforward, albeit inefficient. As a user, I'm left wondering if this latest iteration of iTunes from Microsoft Store is enough to redeem its past shortcomings. Only time will tell.

Itunes from microsoft store