An update to iTunes normally isn’t the most exciting news, but iTunes 11 promises to be the biggest update to Apple’s content engine in years. And during Apple’s iPad Mini event, it was promised before the end of October; Apple was sure enough that they put a countdown on the iTunes page. Well, they’ve had to change plans–no, it wasn’t because of the Scott Forstall affair–and now iTunes 11 is due sometime in November.
In addition to a completely revamped interface, iTunes 11 also promises performance updates, a way for artists to communicate with fans, and increased iCloud functionality. Some of the features that users will most appreciate is tighter integration with notifications and an improved mini player featuring search. Since iTunes is one of the primary gateways to Apple’s realm of content, it is one of the most important pieces of software in the world, so a missed deadline is a bit surprising. My guess is that the cloud implementation proved a bit trickier than anticipated.