Wednesday, August 27, 2008 -- 10:51 a.m. -- on my couch

OK, here's something I know I would use every single minute of every single day -- ok, maybe not every minute, but very often.

With all the apps being added to the iTunes store every day -- 114 pages as of this write-up -- iTunes 8 needs a tabbed browser like in Safari.

I actually find myself hitting Apple+T in a vain attempt to open additional tabs so I can go back to my favorite apps or decide between several apps.

Many times, I come across one and then I jot down the name and end up finding another that I want to compare. But by that time, all I can do is type the name that I wrote down into the search field to bring it back up or hit the back page button 2 or 15 times.

And it's not just because of the app store ... I think that ever since the iTunes store in general became so big that it would be a great idea to offer this functionality. And besides, iTunes has looked the same for a long, long while now. Change is good.

Here's what else iTunes needs, while I'm thinking about it:

1. A direct link to my bank so I can pay bills and other things while I'm browsing for apps. I'm spending so much that I should probably just be able to handle all my finances in just one spot.

2. A Starbucks button: There's a way to buy Starbucks-related music in iTunes, but no way to get coffee. If I'm using the Wi-Fi at Starbucks, why can't I have a button that lets me order so I don't have to be distracted? Of course, that whole wireless ordering system is coming some day, but in the meantime, this would be nice.

3. App previews: I mentioned this before ... I seriously need a simple 15-30 second video that shows me the app in action. That would help me decide on what to download. While I'm always downloading and looking at stuff for blogging purposes, this would help me both professionally and personally.

What else do you think iTunes needs. If 8.0 is really coming out soon, it's time to start thinking about big things. The whole number upgrades usually mean significant changes. If I had more time right now I'd go back to the release notes and see what changed in each of the other big upgrades.

Guess what I'm saying is that I really want more than just different colored notes in the icon.

Thanks for calling.

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I'd like to have bookmarks or a wish list for items I'd like to go back and buy at a later time.

SCOTT's REPLY: Yeah! Why not at least a wish list? Amazon has that.

1. Optional down-conversion of audio files during sync, at a device level. Love having all my music in Apple Lossless for home: AppleTV and iPod Hi-Fi's running through Airport Expresses. Don't mind having lossless on the 160GB iPod Classic. Wish I could convert to 128k AAC during sync to smaller devices such as the iPhone, Nano, etc. just like I can with the Shuffle.

2. In-the-box support for tagging of music ala allmusic.com which can lead to much better playlists.

SCOTT's REPLY: Interesting ideas ... No. 1 intrigues me but I don't have any lossless music, and I probably have no idea what I'm missing.

How about making the App store Shopping Cart capable, for collecting and comparing, same as that option in the Music wing of the Store. I feel your Apple+T pain. My kludgy routine: Surfari a Medialets RSS that tells me what's recent, Apple+T apps of interest, follow the links to the iTunes store to flip through their screenshot clues. If it passes my personal 'luster muster', Buy. If it intrigues, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger, Copy the iTunes Store URL into an expanding draft email and tag it with name & price. This linked shopping list takes me directly to those Apps when the buying mood strikes. Unfortunately this does not scale well, (so many Apps, so little time) that and I have a bad case of the Gimme's. Gimme this, Gimme that.

SCOTT's REPLY: Yep. I agree. ... way too much work!!

I would love to be able to add apps into a favourites list so I can go back and look at them before buying. Quite often there are multiple apps that meet requirements. It would be nice to be able to add the ones you find to a list so you can then go back and look at this list and choose the one you want to buy.

Maybe I can do this already if I turn off one-click ordering? Not sure, but I'l like to have a short list before committing to the purchase.

SCOTT"s REPLY: I don't think so, Kim, because I don't have it turned on and I can't do it. But yeah, it would be nice.

I agree with you on the apps being available on a trial basis, if the apps is worth paying for, then I would still buy it after a 3 day trial.

I would also be a fan of a option to add a tool bar at the top of the screen, I feel the items on the left take up too much screen real estate, even with it shrunk as much as allowed. All of those items on the left could easily be represented with an icon.

SCOTT's REPLY: Agreed 100 percent.

Great idea to add tabs. But while they're at it, it would make me very happy if they'd add other browser features such as the ability to enlarge that minute type in descriptions and contextual menus, especially the Back command for those of us who're tired of so much mousing around.

SCOTT'S REPLY: I don't see any reason why iTunes couldn't operate like a browser ... excellent points.

Scott - Off topic: Is it possible to download podcasts to the iPhone WITHOUT syncing to iTunes? Now that syncing takes so much darn time, I tend to put off the podcasts, which has been a bummer.

SCOTT'S REPLY: I don't know of a way. There may be a way to stream them from some site, but I don't know of a full alternative to iTunes

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