iTunes 2 Now Available
iTunes 2, introduced with Apple‘s new iPod, is now available as a free download. Currently the showcase of Apple’s digital hub strategy, the music player adds a 10-band equalizer with 22 presets, a crossfader for smooth transitions between songs, and automatic synchronization with the iPod (see "iPod Makes Music More Attractive" in TidBITS 603). The update also boasts CD burning at twice the speeds of the original version. iTunes 2 is available for Mac OS 9.0.4 or later (Mac OS 9.1 if you want to burn audio CDs) as a 3.4 MB download; a separate iTunes 2.0.1 for Mac OS X is also available, after Apple pulled the first version due to a problem with the installer. (If you downloaded iTunes 2 for Mac OS X and encountered no difficulties, you don’t need to install version 2.0.1. However, Apple recommends that you delete the iTunes.pkg installer file – go to the Library folder at the top level of your hard disk, open the Receipts folder, and locate the file there.) iTunes 2.0.1 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X 10.1, and is a 3.9 MB download. U.S. English and Japanese versions are currently available; Apple says additional localizations will be available soon.