Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes

You can configure iTunes in various ways to suit your preferences. You can also change the size of the iTunes window in different ways.

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Setting General iTunes Preferences

On the General pane of the Preferences dialog box are several settings you might want to use (see Figure 15.14):

• Source Text Use this drop-down list to change the size of the font of the sources shown in the Source list. The options are Small (default) and Large.

• Song Text This setting changes the size of the text used in the Content pane. Again, your options are Small and Large.

• Show Party Shuffle and Radio check boxes Earlier, you learned how to work with the Radio source. If you don't want that source to be shown, uncheck the Radio check box. The Radio source will be removed from the Source list and you won't be able to see it. Similar to this, you can uncheck the Party Shuffle check box to hide that playlist (you'll learn about this special playlist later in this part of the book).

• Show genre when browsing If you read the previous chapter, you learned about the Browser. This check box controls whether the Genre column appears in the Browser (the check box is checked) or not (the check box is not checked). I like the Genre column, so I leave this checked, but if you don't, you can uncheck the check box to remove that column from the Browser.

• Group compilations when browsing Compilations are what iTunes calls CDs that contain music from various artists (you know, like that Greatest TV Theme Songs from the 1970s CD you like so much). If you check this check box, these compilations will be grouped as collections of music even though the artists might be different on one or more tracks. If you don't want your compilations grouped and prefer to have each track be grouped by artist, uncheck the check box.

• Show links to Music Store When this is checked, arrow buttons will appear next to songs, artists, and albums in the Content pane and in other locations. When you click one of these buttons, you'll move to related music in the iTunes Music Store. If you don't want these links displayed, uncheck the check box.

• On CD Insert You learned about this earlier in this chapter and will come back to it in the next.

• Connect to Internet when needed If you don't want iTunes to try to connect to the Internet automatically, such as when you are using it on a laptop, uncheck this check box. Because iTunes uses the Internet to get CD information, provide Internet radio, and access the iTunes Music Store, you should leave this check box checked whenever you are using iTunes on a computer that can connect to the Internet.

• Check for iTunes updates automatically This check box controls whether iTunes checks for updates and lets you know when they are available. Because it is a good idea to use the current version, you should leave this check box checked.

• Use iTunes as the default player for audio files (Windows) or Use iTunes for Internet music playback (Mac) You learned about this check box (Windows) or Set button (Mac) in the previous section.

Changing the Size of the iTunes Window

Like the windows of other applications, you can change the size of the iTunes window. For example, you might want to make the window smaller so that it doesn't consume so much desktop space (remember that you can minimize or hide the window and use its System Tray or Dock controls to control it).

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Changing the Size of the iTunes Window on a Windows PC

As you use iTunes, keep in the mind the following tips for keeping the window out of your way:

• Minimize/maximize the window Use the standard Minimize and Maximize controls in the iTunes window to hide it or make it full-screen size.

• Make the window smaller If the iTunes window is in the resize mode (click the Maximize button so the window's size is maximized and then click it again), you can drag its resize handle to make the window smaller until it reaches the smallest possible size. Then, you can slide the window out of the way.

• Use the Mini Player For minimum window real estate use, put iTunes in the Mini Player mode by selecting Advanced, Switch to Mini Player; pressing Ctrl+M; or opening the iTunes System Tray menu and selecting Switch to Mini Player. The iTunes window will compress down so it is just large enough to display the playback and window controls (see Figure 15.15). To switch back to the normal iTunes window, use the window controls, press Ctrl+M, or open the iTunes System Tray menu and select Switch to iTunes Window.

  Figure 15.15. Smaller is sometimes better, when it comes to window size that is.

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Changing the Size of the iTunes Window on a Mac

When you use iTunes on a Mac, you can change the window's size in the following ways:

• Hide the application Press -H to hide iTunes. Its window will be hidden from the desktop. You can control iTunes by using its Dock menu or widget. Click the iTunes Dock icon to show the window again.

• Toggle the size of the window If you click the Toggle Size button (the green "light") on the window's title bar, the iTunes window will collapse so that only the playback controls and the Information window are shown (see Figure 15.16). Click the button again to open the window to its full size.

  Figure 15.16. On the Mac, you can quickly collapse the iTunes window to this handy size.

• Change the size of the window In either the full or collapsed state, you can change the size of the window by dragging its resize handle located in the bottom-right corner of the window.

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