Apple is reportedly working on bringing standalone applications for Apple Music, Apple TV, Podcasts, and Books to the Mac this year. The company already allows users to access their Apple Music and Apple TV content through iTunes, but it will now introduce dedicated apps for both the services.
Developer Steve Troughton-Smith first stated that Cupertino is planning to bring the new apps to the Mac with the next major version of macOS. 9to5Mac today confirmed the rumor, sharing further details about Apple’s plans.
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Apple will introduce the new apps with macOS 10.15, and it will be using its Marzipan tech that it used to bring some iOS apps to the Mac in the past. This is the same system Apple plans to open up to developers to allow them to bring their own iOS apps to the Mac.
Apple also plans to redesign the Books app. “The new Books app will have a sidebar similar to the News app on the Mac, it will also feature a narrower title bar with different tabs for the Library, Book Store, and Audiobook Store. On the library tab, the sidebar will list the user’s Books, Audiobooks, PDFs and other collections, including custom ones,” 9to5Mac reported.
Using Marzipan, Apple will be able to offer an iOS-like experience for things like Apple Music, and the new Apple TV on the Mac. That will still be an improvement over iTunes on the Mac, to be honest. Apple isn’t completely getting rid of iTunes, however, and it will stick around for some more time as the new Apple Music app won’t have syncing capabilities for Apple devices.
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#419718">In reply to Hypnotoad:</a></em></blockquote><p>If you can access the service through the web on your Mac, does the app add any value? I think it's a bit like UWP apps on Windows. The time and energy used to create redundant capabilities could have been used to create something new.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#419781">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Why would an iOS-first individual bother with a Mac? Don't most people who buy a Mac do so specifically because iOS is inadequate for their needs?</p>
dontbe evil
<blockquote><em><a href="#419740">In reply to jc91:</a></em></blockquote><p>iTunes (together with the iPod) were the worst piece of crap of SW I ever used … I gave app and sold the iPod (it was a present and it was the first and last apple device for me)</p>
dontbe evil
<p>time to try to get more money…after iDevices fails</p>