Apple's latest earnings reveal the quiet genius (and staggering value) of iTunes

In the past, I've been open about not being a great fan of iTunes, Apple's once-revolutionary music software.

I'm speaking somewhat hyperbolically, but I think iTunes has morphed into a multimedia management nightmare -- with a disjointed style and complicated menus that try to "organise" my media in ways I never wanted to. But while the program occasionally makes me long for the days of my well-ordered CD collection, I have some newfound respect for its purpose and what it accomplishes for Apple.