Any iTunes experts on here please? How to share iTunes?

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Globalti

Legendary Member
Tomorrow morning my son will be getting an iPod for Christmas. Our computer has Windows XP home version so each of us has our own login and screen. How do we ensure that he can use iTunes, which I already have loaded and access or create his own playlists? I have been using iTunes for a couple of years now and although we have read all the help sections we are none the wiser.

And please don't tell me XP is rubbish or iTunes is too limiting, because it's perfect for computer numbskulls like us!
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
the ipod can load songs from anyone's itunes as long as you don't let it sync to any one person's itunes library.

for sharing to work, you have to have the main library (the one with the tunes) set to share, and the other libraries set to look for shared libraries (that's how it works on my macs anyway).

i won't tell you that itunes is too limiting (it isn't), but as someone whose new laptop runs leopard and vista, i'll pass on commenting on xp…
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
Can I ask another ipod question ... I've got one... all my songs were uploaded onto our pc, then my husband upgraded the pc and now my itunes directory appears to be no-more - its on the old computer. How do I get my ipod to work with the new computer?
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
summerdays said:
Can I ask another ipod question ... I've got one... all my songs were uploaded onto our pc, then my husband upgraded the pc and now my itunes directory appears to be no-more - its on the old computer. How do I get my ipod to work with the new computer?

are you on mac or pc?
 

col

Legendary Member
Can you just drag and drop mp3's that you already have on your pc,into an ipod,or is it just from the itunes site only?
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
col said:
Can you just drag and drop mp3's that you already have on your pc,into an ipod,or is it just from the itunes site only?

absolutely. you can also import your cds into itunes and then put them on your ipod. unless the amount of tunes on your hard drive can fit on your ipod, i'd recommend managing the ipod manually, rather than letting it sync. this will also allow you to connect your ipod to other itunes libraries and get songs from there.
 

col

Legendary Member
alecstilleyedye said:
absolutely. you can also import your cds into itunes and then put them on your ipod. unless the amount of tunes on your hard drive can fit on your ipod, i'd recommend managing the ipod manually, rather than letting it sync. this will also allow you to connect your ipod to other itunes libraries and get songs from there.

Cheers,so i take it i can rip my own,then drop them into it too?
 
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Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
summerdays said:
Can I ask another ipod question ... I've got one... all my songs were uploaded onto our pc, then my husband upgraded the pc and now my itunes directory appears to be no-more - its on the old computer. How do I get my ipod to work with the new computer?

Ah! I can answer this one! It's all explained in iTunes Help, but you need to use the iPod as a storage device for transferring the music files from the old computer to the new. We had to do this when we got a new computer. Firstly check that both computers have the latest version of iTunes - you can update the software online. Next you have to go through the process - can't remember how but it more or less does it for you once you've set it in motion. The principle is that the music as held on your iPod is in a different format to the music as held on your computer, so you have to clear the iPod, download the music files, upload them onto the new computer then re-download (presumably in MP3 format?) onto your iPod again. Sounds complicated but I managed it and I'm a numpty!

PS: Here, just found it: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
 

bonj2

Guest
it completely escapes me why the hell you even need itunes. Surely can't you just connect it via usb, windows sees it as a drive, and then just copy mp3 files onto it from windows explorer. Why you need a special software program to 'manage' your mp3 'library' completely baffles me, even more so why it needs to install itself as a windows service.
If it locks itself down in such a way as you are forced to use it, well, then there's your answer as to whether/why it's 'limiting'.
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
if you want an iopd, use itunes. it's a great bit of software that makes the ipod a dream to use.

if you want some bit of second-rate hardware that's up to you, but ipod and itunes go together like trek and armstrong.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Far easier with the creative labs products...plug in, use anything like explorer and drag and drop...job done...

Download unprotected content using legal, and grey stuff or rip cd's - no issues...

Nice stuff the IPOD's though, but don't like this strict enforcement of using their own software - PC's have enough crap running on them as it is.....

Glad you got it sorted, cos it's up and running tomorrow..... argh !
 

bonj2

Guest
alecstilleyedye said:
if you want an iopd, use itunes. it's a great bit of software that makes the ipod a dream to use.

if you want some bit of second-rate hardware that's up to you, but ipod and itunes go together like trek and armstrong.

yeah but it's all just fancy graphics that makes you think it's doing something special, when in reality it doesn't acutally DO anything that you can't do just as easily without it...
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
fossyant said:
Far easier with the creative labs products...plug in, use anything like explorer and drag and drop...job done...

Download unprotected content using legal, and grey stuff or rip cd's - no issues...

Nice stuff the IPOD's though, but don't like this strict enforcement of using their own software - PC's have enough crap running on them as it is.....

Glad you got it sorted, cos it's up and running tomorrow..... argh !

none with itunes either. common misconception that it only works with itunes store purchases. works seamlessly with limewire too.
 

twowheelsgood

Senior Member
bonj said:
it completely escapes me why the hell you even need itunes. Surely can't you just connect it via usb, windows sees it as a drive, and then just copy mp3 files onto it from windows explorer. Why you need a special software program to 'manage' your mp3 'library' completely baffles me, even more so why it needs to install itself as a windows service.
If it locks itself down in such a way as you are forced to use it, well, then there's your answer as to whether/why it's 'limiting'.

sadly not bonj.

you must use itunes. apple deliberately squash alternatives with each itunes or firmware update.

ipod won't work with directories. mp3s must be tagged properly, you cannot simply name the file and the directory. /artist/album/track.mp3 won't work.

I have an ipod and itunes means a can't take off my music and listen to it at work on my pc. It means I can't download podcasts at both home and work and rip on different machines and put them on the ipod without wiping out what was on before.

It's a great piece of hardware but itunes is an abomination and sadly apple don't like you using anything else.

My ipod will be my last apple product. shame, it's brilliant otherwise.
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
twowheelsgood said:
sadly not bonj.

you must use itunes. apple deliberately squash alternatives with each itunes or firmware update.

ipod won't work with directories. mp3s must be tagged properly, you cannot simply name the file and the directory. /artist/album/track.mp3 won't work.

I have an ipod and itunes means a can't take off my music and listen to it at work on my pc. It means I can't download podcasts at both home and work and rip on different machines and put them on the ipod without wiping out what was on before.

It's a great piece of hardware but itunes is an abomination and sadly apple don't like you using anything else.

My ipod will be my last apple product. shame, it's brilliant otherwise.
there are plenty of bits of software that allow you to copy from ipod to computer. expod for mac is best, and just google for stuff to do it for windoze.
 
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