14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has finally turned on iTunes Preview on the iPod+iTunes section of its website (example - iTunes link). The feature enables those who want to learn more about an iPhone app to see its iTunes page without ever leaving their web browser. Purchase links are directly available within iTunes Preview, as are direct links to the developer’s site and other relevant locations.
The App Store iTunes preview is an exact replica of the iTunes page showing you the app, only it’s displayed in your web browser. The change is more than welcome, and comes on the heels of another, similar move – the addition of album previews on Apple’s website. Apple seems it is working towards creating a web-based streaming service, which would justify the buyout of a company specializing in such things – Lala. Apple is also believed to plan the inclusion of previews for video content, in a similar manner.
iTunes has always allowed buyers to preview tracks before they buy. Apple had forgotten to add a handy feature for previewing an entire album, without forcing the customers to go back and forth on the iTunes Store. Amazon.com has been offering this functionality for quite some time now, while customers have been very pleased with this ability. It was a mystery why Apple never bothered to include it in its own music store, but, sure enough, it finally did. Before the addition of the “Prevew All” button, if one wanted to buy an entire album, one had to click the preview button in front of every single song.
Apple may also be moving towards dropping some of the features inside its iTunes application, a scenario seemingly condoned by many users around the world. Whether or not we are in for some radical shift towards the all-purpose web browser, the most recent changes with the iTunes Store are more than welcome. By the way, iTunes is now at version 9.0.3. Go get it.