timmyajmy93wrx

iTrader: (27)

Hi all, im looking at the new mini ipodnano
Just wondering do i have to sign up for itunes? or can i put my cds on it through my pc? also will it except the tunes from cds i have put together myself?

cheers

tim

Dracoro

AFAIK it works just like the normal ipod so, yes. use itunes as it's easy and free. then pay to download tracks as you would normally. You can also use your CD collection and import them into itunes and they'll go onto the ipod too.

timmyajmy93wrx

iTrader: (27)

right so before i put tunes on it, i have to have itunes then upload my cd collection to it then i can put them onto the ipodnano?

Never had one and do not know anything about them!?

So can i not cut & paste when its connected to my pc like i can on my normal mp3 player? or drag & drop function?

thanks for the reply

tim

r32

Sadly I think you can only manage your iPod through iTunes. Its a good programme, easy to use etc etc

Beware of battery life claims, they never seem to be what you should get.

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

With your ipod, you'll get a setup cd which will automatically put itunes on your poota. Any cds you burn will drop into your itunes library and if setup up to do so will automatically update you ipod every time you plug it onto the pc.
I have **** loads of mp3 files on my poota which i want to put onto my ipod but you cant just drop them into your library in itunes cos they're a different format, i have been told (on here) that if you download a free winamp plug-in you can then manage both file types from that and therefore put normal mp3 files onto the pod.
Gonna check it out when i get a sec.

JackClark

All of the files on my iPod are .mp3, it's your choice, iTunes doesn't force it's own format on you. You can import your old .mp3 files into iTunes no problem.

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

I knew i'd be wrong, i'm **** at this technology malarky! Explain how please Jack

OllyK

There's one of the best reasons for NOT getting an iPOD. USB Mass storgage support all the way, portable and supported at the O/S level, no other s/w required.

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Well, technically, the iPod is like a USB hard drive with some extra bits stuck on it, so you can drag and drop files onto it at your hearts content.

However, for the iPod to be able to play the files, they need to be stored in the correct directory with the correct name and also have an entry in the database (so essentially, this is what you need iTunes for).

I have an iPod and that "feature" is very annoying. However, it's so easy and nice to use that I don't care

OllyK

Mmm, the more I hear, the more convinced I am that I can live without an iPOD. Typical Apple, great concept stuffed up by poor implementation.

JackClark

Robbie, I don't have iTunes in front of me but from memory File | Import Folder or Library or something like that, that's it

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Eh? I'm sorry, but you're wrong on so many levels!

Apple has good implementations and concepts. The iPod is crippled like this because the record industry lobby would make sure Apple got in trouble otherwise, because the iPod would make it too easy to copy music between devices.

As for the operating systems (offtopic, i know) - miles better than Windows ever was.


Edit: Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound so rude, but I do believe that apple have better implementations and concepts than a lot of other companies

OllyK

Funny how other manufaturers don't seem to be affected by this though. I suspect it is more down to wanting to tie you in to using iTunes to manage and BUY your music. It's Microsoft trying to lock their users in all over agin IMO.

That's an opinion again. It is better for some things and in some ways, it also has plenty of things I dislike, same a Linux.

As you say, it's your opinion, I just don't agree.

Dracoro

The reason why the iPod is so successful is because IT IS implemented well. Easy to use, anyone can do it, you don't have to think about files & folders etc. Just copy through iTunes and it's all there, it works, no dragging and dropping etc. In a world full of gadgets that are complicated to use, full of buttons, 'features' that are rarely used etc. it's a breath of fresh air.

I could understand any criticism if the iTunes was poor but it isn't, it works, millions use it and are very happy with it. Of course there will be some people who don't like it (including those that 'want' to dislike it for whatever reason ) but for the most part and for most people it's great.

ALL the mp3 players have SOME form of software to play the songs and you can use the iPod as a storage device. You can go through windows explorer, create a folder on the iPod and copy files to and fro to all day long. You don't need software to do this either, just plug it into your PC and it's there as a drive just like everything else.

OllyK

It's not a case of disliking the product, I don't use it, because odly enough, my current MP3 player is generic and doesn't require separate software to load audio files on to it.

TopBanana

I bought a 4gb nano a couple of days ago. Very nice bit of kit, but it is let down by iTunes in my opinion

Dracoro

Fair enough, it would p1ss me off if I didn't like iTunes. The two work very well together so it's not an issue. At the end of the day, you need A method of copying files from the PC to the mp3 player and you need A player to play when on the PC. Most people couldn't be doing with dragging and dropping files, keeping everthing organised, finding a way to synchronise everything etc. iTunes does this all for you, all you have to do it plug in the iPod and away it goes, all done for you.

I personally only have 2 complaints about the iPod/iTunes.
a) iTunes takes a little too long to open, not a great deal of time could be faster nonetheless (it's fast on Macs tho). Mind you other mp3 player software has performance issues of some sort.
b) It'd be handier to 'manually' copy files from iPod to HDD but on the iPod they are all renamed so you need to be a bit 'clever' how you do this. It's very minor as I have never really needed this function but it'd be nice to be able to do this easily.

OllyK

That was kind of my point, you spend £200 or whatever on an iPOD and you have no real fall back method of loading it up if you don't like iTunes.

Dracoro

Well, if you don't like iTunes, don't buy an iPod. I think most people know this and wouldn't buy one otherwise.

I did my research, tried iTunes etc. found it fine so happy with iPod (only one that offered 60GB apart from creative thing which didn't rock my boat at all).

ALL the products are gonna have annoyances but from their market share and user reviews etc. the iPod/iTunes combo is far and away the easiest to get on with. There will ALWAYS be some who don't get on with it, but that's the case with ALL products.

OllyK

I didn't know about it until this thread, but then the iPod really doesn't do much for me anyway.

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

I don't wanna get dragged into whether ipods and itunes are any good, i aint got a clue what you boys are goin on about so i wont join in.

Henrik, can you elaborate about the correct directory, name and database entry bit. I'm a proper numpty with these things, prob obvious that!!

OllyK

Basically if you want to put music on the iPOD AND want the iPOD to be able to play them, use iTunes. If you don't get on with iTunes, well errr, see earlier posts:

angrynorth

Its shocking how much bad information about the iPod there is these days.

Let me clarify.

The iPod does comply to the USB mass storage guidelines and it can be used as a hard drive for the dragging and dropping of files.

To play music files you must update your iPod using iTunes. If you do this then you will see many benefits such as always having backups of your music collection. The fact that all you have to do is drop the iPod in a dock to update it entirely is brilliant.

If you want more control over what music and playlists get put on your iPod then iTunes will allow you to do this simply turn off automatic updates in preferences.

iTunes and the iPod support mp3, aac, wav and Apple Lossless format.

iTunes will convert wma's* automatically for you if you are using a windows PC and you want to put these files on your iPod.

iTunes does not apply a DRM to your own ripped CD's like Windows Media Player and is therefore less restrictive over music you have paid for. *If you have been trying to convert wma files using iTunes and failing - its because of this, yes you got PWNED by M$ as they say.

The iPod battery IS replacable and ALWAYS HAS BEEN. You can take it to any Apple store and it will be replaced for £49.

Anymore?

OllyK

In otherwords, without iTunes you have paid way over the odds for a 40Gb USB hard drive.

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

Sorry still being silly, just can you put a few terms into english for me whats a DRM and wtf does that mean

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Basically, if you use iTunes you don't have to worry about it, it was just me being geeky
iTunes will sort it all out for you, and it is a decent piece of software (in my opinion), even if it takes a bit of getting used to if you use e.g. winamp at the moment.

My ipod is so easy to use i reckon my parents could figure it out, so basically don't worry about having problems using it

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Actually, I just remembered that I used to have this piece of software at work that let me copy files into the ipod in "directories" (e.g. windows explorer style) and it would organize the folders and files into the iPod format. With this software you could also copy stuff off the iPod.

Also, for Linux there's gtkpod which lets you copy stuff to / from the iPod.

Edit: so now there's no reason for you not to join the cult

angrynorth

Are you just being pedantic for the sake of it? If a USB hard drive was what you wanted then that is what you would buy.

If you don't like iTunes then don't buy one, but I can't think of a reason not to like it.

Also, going from your point of view, what if I didn't want to use Windows Exploder to load up my iPod? If that was the case I would have just spent "way over the odds" -as you say on a 40GB mp3 player.

At least the iPod is supports multiple OS, there are only a couple of other players that will work on OSX so my choice is limited there - just as yours is by being "forced" to use iTunes.

Also, where are you getting your prices from? The iPod is very competitive these days.

angrynorth

PWNED = l33t speak (elite speak)
Means "OWNED" or someone is taking the **** out of you and laughing about it.

eg

Y0!_! 60T PWN3D 8y teh M$



In other words, all those people who are saying that Apple are restricting choice should look at their own stuff before mouthing off about others. At least Apple doesn't try to claim ownership of your own ripped CD's

OllyK

Err nope, up until Henrik's post above, the concensus seemed to be that you have to use proprietory software to get the iPOD to work as it is intended.

I haven't.

I don't have an issue with software being provided to enhace the loading process for a USB storage device, that's good. What's bad is forcing people to use that software at the exclusion of more basic methods. Plenty of people seem happy enough, that's fine, but it isn't for me.

Unless OSX (not an OS I am familiar with) doesn't support USB mass storage devices then that's cobblers. My MP3 player plugs in to the USB port, is detected as a hard drive, copy the files you want to it and it lets you play them. No re-naming, no databases no messing about, it just works. The same applies to most of the other mp3 players I have encountered.

I wasn't getting them from anywhere, it was a passing comment relating to USB mass storage and that if an iPOD is £200 or so then it's expensive for that use. A quick froogle suggests that a 40Gb iPod is around the £200 mark (http://froogle.google.co.uk/froogle?...&sa=N&start=20) roughly what I guessed at. Which compared to a 250Gb HD at £50 with a £20 USB case, makes it expensive as storage unless it plays MP3 and we are then back to the resource hogging beast that is iTunes again.

I installed it last night out of interest. It seems to install 2 services iPODService - great when I don't have one and iTunesHelper. The app sits there munching 26 Meg of memory while just sitting there minimized in the system tray doing nothing with nothing loaded. Put a few Mp3s on and it jumps to 37Mb to sit there and do nothing. 10Mb to catalogue 500 Tracks and it doesn't release the memory afterwards??

Fine some people obviously love their iPODs, great enjoy, I'm happy not to be one of the crowd.