NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, not exactly hacking. But is there any way to get an ipod to be able to sync with two computers without losing songs? Other than to have identical songs on both computers? A program of some sort, perhaps?

Yup, quite easily.

If you turn of automatic syncing then you can drag and drop files manually from multiple computers onto the iPod through iTunes.

Yeah, but on the nano, atleast, the ipod is only capable of receiving new files from 1 computer at a time.

As far as I know it works like that on any iPod except the shuffle.

I have a nano.

Several ways.

You can ditch the Apple software and install Rockbox (or Linux, which isn't quite at Rockbox's level yet). This is the risque as you can easily bjork your iPod, but you never have to worry about it again.

OR you could try to set up gtkpod on Windows. This is probably the hardest way to go, but it is not very risky. gtkpod is good because when it syncs it pretends to be the iTunes library that put the songs on in the first place.

OR you could do a long, painful, but perfectly safe transfer each time. To do this, load up a bunch of songs onto it from one computer. Then, when the message pops up saying that it is synced with a different library, open up my computer, open the letter drive of the iPod and make sure the address bar is there (View -> Address Bar, IIRC). Then go to X:\iPod_Control\Music\ where X is the letter drive of the iPod (should be there already. and don't worry about the capital letters, Windows doesn't care). There are three hidden folders:F00, F01, F02. Your music is in each of these. Navigate into one using the address bar, and copy all the songs into your music folder. The iPod software requires rediculace names, get used to it. Repeat for the other folders. Then finally tell iTunes to wipe the iPod, and add the songs to that library. Easy, eh?

Well, not exactly hacking. But is there any way to get an ipod to be able to sync with two computers without losing songs? Other than to have identical songs on both computers? A program of some sort, perhaps?

*Knocks on door*

Hello sir, i'm Mr. Big, with Apple Inc.

*Smashes car tail light*

Let that be a lesson punk.


(Too be serious, from what I think your asking, i;d say just hook up your USB, and have Itunes installed on each one. They will both update, and you can add delete songs from one Itunes, without effecting the other. Im probably missing your question though...)

You can't really "sync" an iPod to two different computers because, essentially, the iPod corresponds to the computer you've synced it to... once you switch that to another computer, you've lost the first sync.

But, yes, there are ways of getting individual files on your iPod. There are of course all sorts of nifty hacks because what is an iPod? It's just a flash drive with a media player and it can act like a hard drive, so there are a million different ways to hack it. Like some of the aforementioned.

(Too be serious, from what I think your asking, i;d say just hook up your USB, and have Itunes installed on each one. They will both update, and you can add delete songs from one Itunes, without effecting the other. Im probably missing your question though...)
What your missing is the fact that Apple considers the music you are putting on your iPod property of the record label, not you. As what you describe would make swapping songs 'illegally' far easier than record labels would like, they prevent you from using an iPod with more than one computer at a given time.

What your missing is the fact that Apple considers the music you are putting on your iPod property of the record label, not you. As what you describe would make swapping songs 'illegally' far easier than record labels would like, they prevent you from using an iPod with more than one computer at a given time.

Yes, and I do so often. Of course this makes me an evil person...as the link explains... (sorry for the annoying captions) Anyway i've done it before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3hStxZ5CMU

You can't really "sync" an iPod to two different computers because, essentially, the iPod corresponds to the computer you've synced it to... once you switch that to another computer, you've lost the first sync.

But, yes, there are ways of getting individual files on your iPod. There are of course all sorts of nifty hacks because what is an iPod? It's just a flash drive with a media player and it can act like a hard drive, so there are a million different ways to hack it. Like some of the aforementioned.

My friend has tried keeping one computer with an older version of Itunes, and one with the updated. They both keep seperate libraries, and use the same Ipod nano....or so he says.

My friend has tried keeping one computer with an older version of Itunes, and one with the updated. They both keep seperate libraries, and use the same Ipod nano....or so he says.

I've used a mini with two different versions and that doesnt work. Syncing is like dedicating your ipod to one specific computer library. Apple set it up so that you would buy their $50 ipod dock and youd just set it on that and your ipod would be updated.

I've used a mini with two different versions and that doesnt work. Syncing is like dedicating your ipod to one specific computer library. Apple set it up so that you would buy their $50 ipod dock and youd just set it on that and your ipod would be updated.

Alright, he must be lying. Thanks for clearing that up.

Alright, he must be lying. Thanks for clearing that up.

I wouldnt see why someone would lie about that, but i dont think apple wanted people syncing to multiple computers at once

of course, they also want everyone on the planet to own their overpriced equipment, so who knows.

* is glad he doesn't use an ipod *

* is glad he doesn't use an ipod *

I honestly wouldn't have bought one if it wasnt for how easy it is to use the different functions without having to look, and the touch pad has a nice amount of sensitivity (though not oversensitive) to it as well.

otherwise, id have something else.

I honestly wouldn't have bought one if it wasnt for how easy it is to use the different functions without having to look, and the touch pad has a nice amount of sensitivity (though not oversensitive) to it as well.

otherwise, id have something else.

Well, I haven't had a player that I couldn't get used to operate without looking after a couple of times, so in my case that wouldn't make me want to get enslaved to Apple or some other backwards manufacturer.

Heck, I don't even have a player anymore, my Palm, my Nokia, and a 2Gb SD card fill the role nicely. Might even get a Treo in the not too distant future to be able to use SDHC cards and ditch the old Palm and the Nokia.

Well, I haven't had a player that I couldn't get used to operate without looking after a couple of times, so in my case that wouldn't make me want to get enslaved to Apple or some other backwards manufacturer.

Heck, I don't even have a player anymore, my Palm, my Nokia, and a 2Gb SD card fill the role nicely. Might even get a Treo in the not too distant future to be able to use SDHC cards and ditch the old Palm and the Nokia.

I have had a player that ive had to look at while playing, so the iPod really was a huge step up.

and buying an ipod doesnt necessarily enslave you to apple... it just makes it that much easier

I thought you were refering to this:
http://www.itsuseless.com/images/IPodHD_011a.jpg
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Ipod_Nano_200gb_Instructions

The 200 gig nano

See, peeps, this is why iPods are bad. I've got a one gigabyte MP3 player I bought for twenty bucks that suits me perfectly, since it's easily used, durable, doesn't take much battery power out of the single AA it requires, and I don't have to deal with any software to put stuff on it: just copy and paste songs directly into it through Windows Explorer or whatever. Easy peasy.

My iPod is angry. I can hook it up to the USB port on my computer but my 'puter doesn't recognize there's an iPod, and it just sits there charging. :( I have the latest version of iTunes and everything!

Thoughts?