“Apple’s upcoming new release of iTunes 11, due by the end of October (and likely to launch with the iPad mini), suggests several new user interface concepts that are likely to also be adopted its larger OS X platform,” Daniel Eran Dilger reports for AppleInsider.

“Over the past five years, Apple has introduced a wide variety of new iOS features that have percolated their way ‘back to the Mac,’ as well as having introduced OS X features that have later shown up in its mobile devices,” Dilger reports. “However, Apple’s own first party apps, and in particular iTunes, have also served as harbingers of new user interface directions.”

Dilger reports, “Two years ago, iTunes 10 debuted with a space-efficient, vertical stack of Close/Dock/Zoom buttons, an idea that didn’t last long (outside of the mini player). This year’s new iTunes 11 release, however, boldly remakes the entire app, rethinking a series of features that have piled up within iTunes since it was first released by Apple in 2001. “

Much more in the full article – recommended – here.