itunes11Apple’s iTunes has reborn as iTunes11. There’re some good changes and some changes only make your heart go after iTunes 10. One definite change is the new skin, which is acceptable, in fact expected. As with all new versions, you need to give it some time to get yourself acquainted with the new interface. The new look appeals, but the functionality steals the flexible feel of the old version. One change that many don’t want is the disappearance of the sidebar. It has been a go-to place when you want to access the movie library, playlists, iTunes Store, and so on. Now, the absence of it makes users feel that they are denied a privilege.


When they discovered that iTunes 11 doesn’t have the sidebar, some were puzzled, some were annoyed and some thought of switching back to iTunes 10. There can’t be a better alternative to the sidebar as it has helped users switch to other pages almost instantly. Obviously, ripping it off the interface has caused serious damage to its functionality. Oh! No, you needn’t feel so bad about it anymore. Ta-dah! You can get the traditional sidebar view back in just a few steps. Already excited? It seems that Apple is pulling pranks by hiding the sidebar view (just kidding). Actually, it is just hidden and users can bring it out whenever they want it.

So, unlike the old sidebar, which was a part of the interface design, the new one is even more flexible by letting you decide whether it should be visible or hidden. The library and iTunes Store can be readily accessed without the sidebar because there are separate buttons for those on the top of the interface. Plus, if you connect another device to it, you can see the device menu on the sidebar. How do you bring back the sidebar?

Here’s how you can do it.
1. Enter iTunes
2. Select the View option from the iTunes menu
3. Click on the Show Sidebar option from the list.
The sidebar will be back! If you are using Mac, you can also do it by pressing Command S and if you are a Windows user you can use control + S hotkey combination to get back the sidebar.


Some of you might have noticed that the status bar is missing, too. Yes it is. But you can bring it back, too. What should you do to have it again?

1. Click on the view menu from the menu bar on the top of the page.
2. Select Show Status Bar from the menu that drops down.
It will show up instantly.

Apple has really done the planning well. It is thoughtful of Apple to give us the freedom to decide how we want it to be. Many of the users feel like they got back their lost treasure when the sidebar appeared again, finally. With such a flexible interface, it seems that it has only gotten a new skin. So there’s no need to go ‘argh!’, ‘aww!’, or ‘Gosh!’ any more. You can enjoy using iTunes 11 just as you enjoyed using the older versions of it.

This is a guest post is brought to you by Samantha Kirk, a writer for Centurylink Internet. Samantha provides up to date content and information for high-speed internet, phone services, bundles and other Centurylink offers.

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