Apple Launches iTunes 10.5 in Preparation for iOS 5 and iCloud Release

Apple has released a huge update for its iTunes Mac software before the launch of its new iOS 5 mobile operating system and iCloud.

The iTunes 10.5 update adds support for Apple’s upcoming push into cloud services. The iTunes will now automatically download all purchases made through iTunes and the iOS App Store, regardless of which device the purchases were made on.

iTunes now stores your music and TV purchases in iCloud and makes them available on your devices anywhere, anytime, at no additional cost, Apple said in the note accompanying iTunes 10.5.

The iTunes 10.5 made no mention of iTunes Match, the $25-a-year service that Apple intends to unveil later this month.

Last June, then-CEO Steve Jobs dubbed that feature iTunes in the Cloud, which includes an automatic download mechanism. Jobs' participation in the unveiling of iCloud and iOS 5 was his final new product presentation for Apple.

The iTunes 10.5 can be downloaded from Apple's Web site, but Mac users can upgrade by selecting Software Update from the Apple menu. Windows users already running iTunes will be alerted by the Apple Software Update tool.

One aspect that iTunes 10.5 brings is the iOS 5 update for iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, which will do away with the requirement to bind the mobile device to a computer to sync it.