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:

• You can minimize/maximize the window. Use the standard Minimize and Maximize controls in the iTunes window to hide it or make it full-screen size.
• You can make the window smaller. If the iTunes window is in the resize mode (click the Maximize button so the window’s size is maximized, then click it again), you can drag its resize handle to make the window smaller until it reaches the smallest possible size (see Figure). Then, you can slide the window out of the way.

Setting General iTunes Preferences

On the General pane of the Preferences dialog box are several settings you might want to use:

• 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 Genre When Browsing—Earlier, 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.
• 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.

Playing Around with Internet Audio

You can do a couple other things with Internet audio using iTunes. If you want iTunes to be used to play Internet audio by default, open the Preferences dialog box (Ctrl+, on Windows computers or „+, on Macs). Open the General pane. Then check the Use iTunes as the Default Player for Audio Files check box (Windows) or click the Set button (Mac). When your browser hits an audio file that iTunes supports, iTunes should play it.
You can also play audio streams for which you have a URL within iTunes. To do this, use the following steps:

1. Find the URL pointing to the stream to which you want to listen. Hopefully, you can copy the URL from the Address bar of the Web browser because that is a lot easier than trying to remember the URL or writing it down and then typing it in.
2. Choose Advanced, Open Stream. The Open Stream dialog box will appear.
3. Paste in or type the URL in the URL field.
4. Click OK. The stream will play.