Before I spun off into an anti-Apple tirade, I figured I'd ask the SRiC Apple guru's for some help.

My stepson got an i-pod nano for Christmas from his dad. He used his dad's computer to load up i-tunes software and transfer some CD's to his i-pod.

We just loaded all 35Mb of i-tunes onto my desktop and low and behold, I can't use it without erasing everything already stored on the i-pod. WTFM8? Is there some way around this stupidity? It appears the i-pod can only be synced with one computer. Am I missing some simple setting or did Apple assume we only buy one computer in our lifetime?

Here's my other ***** - why can't I simply drag and drop MP3 files onto the i-pod and be able to play them? That's what I do with my Archos player and it works just fine. But my test file on the i-pod went unrecognized.

I hope I am just missing something simple here - otherwise it looks like Apple has become the Orwellian machine they lambasted in their 1980's commercials.

 

fomr teh apple website

Question: I have a computer at home and one at work. Can I update my iPod music collection from more than one computer?


Answer: Yes. When you first connect iPod to your computer, iPod recognizes that computer as its "home" computer. Each time you connect, iPod automatically downloads the music library stored on it. When you connect iPod to a different computer, iTunes will inform you that iPod is linked to a different iTunes library and will ask whether you wish to erase iPod's contents and sync with the new computer's library. If you will be connecting to multiple computers frequently, configure your iPod to manually manage music. This will allow you to selectively drag songs, albums, or playlists from the second computer to your iPod without compromising the existing music.


Synchronization generally occurs only in one direction, from your computer to your iPod. This means you typically cannot transfer music, automatically or manually, from your iPod to a computer, and you cannot use iPod to copy a music library from one computer to another. An exception to this is the transfer purchases feature which allows you to restore purchased iTunes content to your computer from your iPod. Additionally, if you legally are allowed to copy music or other media files, you can configure your iPod as a storage drive to move media files.

 

after i heard baout that **** i instantly turned on my ipod to manually manage music, kinda sucks because now you gotta hit the "eject button" on itunes... but no deleting songs for me!

 

You were always supposed to hit the eject button, or at least safely disconnect the harware via the sys. tray

 

i have an old ipod mini and it's just drag and drop. dawn got a ipod video this christmas and it looks like a pita to manage the files.

did apple fuxor up their uber easy software?

 

getting music to your ipod is easy, getting it off isn't. Creative was a TON easier.

 

It took me a while to get used to the way the iPod/iTunes manages music (and I still hate the fact that iTunes doesn't monitor my music folder). I have my iPod set to automatically manage my music ("Only sync checked items" and "Manually manage music" are unchecked).

Then I created a playlist called "Essential Music" where I manually add all the music I always want to be on my iPod, and in the iPod->Music tab I have it sync "Selected playlists".

The cool thing about having your music sync up is iTunes keeps track of your play count and song ratings which gives you the ability to build sophisticated "Smart Playlists" such as "4 star" and "5 star" music, "Really recently added", and "25 Least Played Songs" playlists.

Here are a couple really good sites regarding "Smart Playlists":

http://smartplaylists.com/
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/channum/...ement_v3.1.pdf

As for the multiple computer issue, sorry I can't help there.

The reason the iPod doesn't support drag and drop per se is it keeps a database on the iPod which allows you to quick scroll or filter through your music with the speed that a standard file system can't achieve.

 

the answers my friend is incredibly simple....

1) if you try to drag and drop files to your iPod, it will act as a regular hard drive. it will hold the file, but will not play it.
2) the iTunes software will read whats on your PC/Mac, and download accordingly, regardless of whats on your iPod. the answer to that little problem is...
3) a program called EphPod. it will read whats on your iPod, instead of your PC, and let you download accordingly. you can also "drag-and-drop" songs onto it thru the Folders menu. unfortunately, i have only seen it for PC, and not Mac.

as far as the multiple-computer issue, as long as each PC has EphPod, any songs on each computer can be added to one iPod. so my PC, my brothers PC, my moms PC, and my ex's PC has the program, and i can add songs from all of them, without fear of deleting anything, or "home computer" issues. if you want it, or anyone else, i can try and email it to you.

 

Ipods are ****ing trendy bull**** and apple conned you all into buying overcomplicated garbage that only works with their homoerotic cryptic emo software.

kthxbye

 

It took me a while to convert to an iPod (I like to micro-manage my music in folders), but what converted me over is that it's the smallest device with 8GB's, color screen, the build quality is very good, and the interface is fast and easy to use. What I don't like is the premium I pay for an Apple product. Plus I don't particularly like iTunes (it's even more sluggish than WMP), but the album art browser is pretty sweet and I've gotten used to it over the few months I've used it.

 

 

i bought a creative zen micro about 1.5 years ago..has performed flawlessly and is cake to use...next up whenevAr this 1 takes a dump... ZUNE!^^^ yayah babay!

 

if ipods are "overcomplicated" for you... you need to lay off the weed...

 

QFT!!!!

 

Agreed.

Man, I'm agreeing with something John said two days in a row now. Pretty soon I'll be agreeing with Furley or something.