iPods & multiple computers

[Puddleglum]

My lack of technology skills is causing me problems again . . .

I got an iPod for my birthday. My siblings put a whole bunch of songs on it - which is awesome. But today I download iTunes (so that I can disconnect the iPod from my computer after it had finished recharging!). And I get this message that an iPod can only sync with one computer at a time.

So if anyone's ever dealt with anything like this before . . . what exactly does this mean? Can I sync my iPod with my computer without losing the songs that they put on there? (How?) Can I transfer songs (either that I buy or that I've got on CD - is there a difference) to my iPod?

Any advice / suggestions welcome!

 

[BlackCalvinist]

In a nutshell:

Your iPod is 'synced' (linked) to only ONE computer at a time. If you want to put songs on it, you must put the songs on that computer that it's synced to and add them from there. If you sync your iPod to a new computer, it'll erase what you have on there now.

Advice: burn an MP3 CD of the songs your friends gave you (I guess they could all do it for you), import them on your new computer (the one you DLed the song from iTunes on) and sync to your new computer.

 

[VictorBravo]

This might help: http://playlistmag.com/features/2006/02/multiple/index.php

Just this evening I saw in our University Book Store some software to allow you to use your iPod on different computers, and to take the songs from your iPod and transfer them. I didn't note the publisher, but there is a whole new market out there to defeat iPod's dubious features.

 

[Ravens]

I'm not a p.c. whiz, but as I recall, itunes has an option or preference somewhere about automatically "syncing". If you plug your ipod into someone's itunes that has the auto-sync turned off, it shouldn't hurt. I've had a friend use my itunes without losing anything on their ipod, because I don't automatically sync my library.

Does that make sense? Its been awhile since I fooled with it all, but someone else may know more.

Also, I bought a program called Podmaxx for twenty bucks or so that allowed you to take songs off your ipod and put them on your hard drive, and vice versa, make your own ringtones, manage your pictures individually without syncing folders, select music on your ipod to burn straight onto a cd that would play in your car, etc. You could look into buyin' something like that, also. It was worth it.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Using an iPod with multiple computers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61675

An alternative to iTunes:
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/featpw.php

 

[BlackCalvinist]

Using an iPod with multiple computers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61675

An alternative to iTunes:
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/featpw.php

I stand corrected. I did not know that.

 

[Puddleglum]

Thanks guys . . . I'll mess around with it next time I've got some spare time (what's that?), and be back if nothing seems to work.