The evolution of iTunes

• Release date: Nov. 29, 2012

Apple's latest version of iTunes is perhaps its most controversial. Though the software was never exactly well-liked, the reaction to iTunes 11 was scathing.

In iTunes 11, Apple completely redesigned the user interface by getting rid of the navigation field on the left, which had been a fixture of the software since iTunes 1.0. It also eliminated some popular features, including the ability to shuffle music.

Apple shifted the iTunes navigation tools to the top and replaced the text-based lists with a grid of album covers. In Google (GOOG) Instant, the first suggestion for an iTunes 11 search is "iTunes 11 sucks."

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