Apple has made available today software updates for iTunes and Quicktime. The updates are available through Software Update or from Apple's support website. The updates weight 27.5MB for iTunes and 41.8MB for QuickTime. iTunes 7.1 and QuickTime 7.1.5 require Mac OS X 10.3.9 or better. For Windows users, iTunes 7.1 and QuickTime 7.1.5 require Windows 2000 (SP4), XP or later.

The iTunes 7.1 update is primarily for bringing Apple TV support. The application also supports full screen Cover Flow now, and the sorting options are improved allowing users to customize the sort.

"Using iTunes 7.1, you can now enjoy your favorite iTunes movies, TV shows, music, and more from the comfort of your living room with Apple TV. iTunes 7.1 also supports a new full screen Cover Flow and improved sorting options to let you decide how iTunes should sort your favorite artists, albums, and songs", says Apple in the description. The Windows version of iTunes is said to address some Vista compatibility issues.

The Apple TV is a new set top box from the Cupertino-based company that allows streaming media content onto an HD television from either a Mac or Windows machine. It was announced in January and should have shipped in late February. The company delayed the shipment to the second half of March, pre-orders reflect the 20th of March as the delivery date.

QuickTime was updated to 7.1.5 and it is primarily a bug-fix release. "QuickTime 7.1.5 delivers numerous bug fixes and addresses critical security issues. This update is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users", says the release description.

The update includes security fixes for viewing maliciously-crafted 3GP files on Windows stations and viewing a variety of maliciously-crafted files (MIDI, QuickTime movie, PICT, QTIF) on either Windows or Mac. Both these actions could result in application crash or arbitrary code execution, according to Apple.

If you have already tried out the updated applications and have an opinion on the additions/improvements, feel free to share it with us.