iTunes changes its mind on MiniStore

Jan 2006

While iTunes MiniStore service was initially enabled by default in iTunes 6.0.2 it seems that Apple has decided after all to ask users for permission to start the service.

While BoingBoing claims The new version of the iTunes 6.0.2 installer pops up this screen before turning on the MiniStore, I’m not exactly sure how the change has occured. I have upgraded my iTunes to 6.0.2 about a week ago and the MiniStore was enabled, but I have disabled it the very first time I used it. Since then I used iTunes half a dozen times and have enabled MiniStore on one or two occasions just to have another look but disabled it in the end.

This morning, after reading BoingBoing article, I turned it on again but was surprised to see iTunes asking whether I’d like to turn it on or not. While that’s nice, I wonder how did they change the things around so I’m being asked this now? I didn’t run software update, and I didn’t do anything about iTunes. The software update is in fact enabled to notify me of the new software daily, but not to download anything, not even in the background.

Or could it be that the window with the blue background is the new “index” page of the Mini Store?

Mac

Comments

Markus

January 19th, 2006 at 9:18 AM

There is an entry in the file “com.apple.iTunes.plist” which determines whether the message needs to be shown or not. As long as the “cookie” wasn’t accepted, the new “index” page will appear. The possibility of storing “cookies” in iTunes was obviously already build in.