Can only hook iphone up to 1 computer?!!

[26139]

No

You know, it always baffles me how people just accept the fact that there are limitations rather then writing Apple and asking them to make a change. I'm not sure if they listen, but I did fill out the feedback form, and I encourage anyone else who wants to be able to sync their iphone with multiple computers to do so as well.

This limitation totally sucks. Sure there are workarounds, but when you're running out the door and need to copy something to your iphones, those workarounds are severely inconvenient and do not allow you to do what you need it to do in the time needed. The iPhone is not supposed to complicate your life, it's supposed to make it easier. For those who work in both a Mac and PC environment, surely you can feel my pain, as it's not always easy to get files from one machine to another, so it would be nice to just hook the iphone up and copy the stuff you want onto your phone.

Hopefully if Apple doesn't listen and fix it, someone else will write a 3rd party app that will allow for it, even if it involves jailbreaking the phone.

It baffles me that people buy products and then bitch to companies when they don't work exactly as the purchaser THINKS they should, rather than accepting what the company SAID it would do.

Do you buy a chevy and then bitch because it requires certain types of parts? Do you purchase a phone from T-Mobile and then bitch it won't work on Sprint?

 

[Small White Car]

You know, it always baffles me how people just accept the fact that there are limitations rather then writing Apple and asking them to make a change.

Dear Apple,

I know that stealing music is wrong and that it makes your iTunes store partners angry, but I would still like your help in this matter.

Please make it possible for me to go around to all my friend's computers and get copies of everything they own. After all, if they paid for it, why should I have to? As I said above, I know this might anger your music label partners, but it would really help me out.

Thanks!

-A Loyal Customer

Yeah...good luck with that one!

 

[danny_w]

It baffles me that people buy products and then bitch to companies when they don't work exactly as the purchaser THINKS they should, rather than accepting what the company SAID it would do.

Do you buy a chevy and then bitch because it requires certain types of parts? Do you purchase a phone from T-Mobile and then bitch it won't work on Sprint?

I don't know if the OP had an iPod before the iPhone, but if he did he would have every right to expect the same functionality as from the iPod, since Apple advertised that the iPhone as "the best iPod ever". The OP is not comparing the iPhone to other MP3 players and complaining, he is comparing the iPhone to the iPod and complaining that it can't do the same things. And since the iPod can sync on multiple computers, why can't the iPhone?

 

[26139]

yep

Dear Apple,

I know that stealing music is wrong and that it makes your iTunes store partners angry, but I would still like your help in this matter.

Please make it possible for me to go around to all my friend's computers and get copies of everything they own. After all, if they paid for it, why should I have to? As I said above, I know this might anger your music label partners, but it would really help me out.

Thanks!

-A Loyal Customer

Yeah...good luck with that one!

Agreed.

Question: "But what if I have more than two computers? Waaahhh!"

Response: "Too frickin' bad. Most people don't have more than two computers and you probably shouldn't be using your work computer to download and store music on, anyway."

 

[Small White Car]

Question: "But what if I have more than two computers? Waaahhh!"

Response: "Too frickin' bad. Most people don't have more than two computers and you probably shouldn't be using your work computer to download and store music on, anyway."

I'm not saying it's right. I'm just trying to give you a view on how Apple is going to look at such requests.

 

[26139]

Yep

I'm not saying it's right. I'm just trying to give you a view on how Apple is going to look at such requests.

Oh, I totally agree with you. I'll clarify that.

 

[plumbingandtech]

Dear apple,

My iphone does not sync my itunes songs I bought on linux debniaban umbutu v6.4.4 powerpc free as in beer (the good kind. not coors)

Why did you not tell me this before you forced me to by an iPhone.

Grrrrr, apple you are the worst.

signed

me

 

[Moi un Mouton]

Two possibilities for doing what you ask:
1. Jailbreak the phone and install SwapTunes
2. Don't use iTunes, use an alternative: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/08/itunes-alternatives/

 

[danny_w]

Dear apple,

My iphone does not sync my itunes songs I bought on linux debniaban umbutu v6.4.4 powerpc free as in beer (the good kind. not coors)

Why did you not tell me this before you forced me to by an iPhone.

Grrrrr, apple you are the worst.

signed

me

Why does everybody insist on ignoring the shortcoming of the iPhone? I don't know if the OP had an iPod before the iPhone, but if he did he would have every right to expect the same functionality as from the iPod, since Apple advertised the iPhone as "the best iPod ever". The OP is not comparing the iPhone to other MP3 players and complaining, he is comparing the iPhone to the iPod and complaining that it can't do the same things. He is not asking for something other than iTunes. He is not asking for Linux support. And since the iPod can sync on multiple computers, why can't the iPhone?
__________________

 

[plumbingandtech]

No one is ignoring it. The answer was stated above. This was well known since last year that the iphone had this limitation.

but if he did he would have every right to expect the same functionality as from the iPod, since Apple advertised the iPhone as "the best iPod ever".

No. he has a right to expect the iPhone to perform the functions that apple specified. If a person does not do their homework before hand, then goes on a "sucks" and "fanboy" tirade then they should tone it down because it was they that did not get all the facts.

And since the iPod can sync on multiple computers, why can't the iPhone?

Ask apple. I didn't make the iphone.

 

[danny_w]

No one is ignoring it. The answer was stated above. This was well known since last year that the iphone had this limitation.



No. he has a right to expect the iPhone to perform the functions that apple specified. If a person does not do their homework before hand, then goes on a "sucks" and "fanboy" tirade then they should tone it down because it was they that did not get all the facts.



Ask apple. I didn't make the iphone.

I'm sure it must be somewhere since you are so adamant about it, but can you show me exactly where in Apple documentation that it is spelled out that you cannot sync an iPhone with 2 computers the way you can with an iPod? Is it clear that this operation is different from that of the iPod?

 

[randyhudson]

You can find 3rd-party software that will let you incrementally add and remove songs manually with any "ipod". I assume it would work with the iPhone too.

The reason Apply doesn't let you do this is that iPods DO NOT enforce DRM, which is a good thing. You can purchase a song, and sync it onto 100 ipods if you wish. So, to prevent you from giving all of your friends your purchased music, Apple and the record companies agreed that only allowing syncing with a single computer (not account) would be allowed (by erasing what might be there from syncing with some other computer).

Contrary to what some others posted, the iPhone is not tied to a single iTunes account. You can access an iTunes account from up to 5 PCs, but you can only sync your iPhone with one of those 5, which was the whole complaint of the original post if anyone took the time to read it.

Like I said above, the workaround is to use some other software to add/remove music.

 

[djrobsd]

You can find 3rd-party software that will let you incrementally add and remove songs manually with any "ipod". I assume it would work with the iPhone too.

The reason Apply doesn't let you do this is that iPods DO NOT enforce DRM, which is a good thing. You can purchase a song, and sync it onto 100 ipods if you wish. So, to prevent you from giving all of your friends your purchased music, Apple and the record companies agreed that only allowing syncing with a single computer (not account) would be allowed (by erasing what might be there from syncing with some other computer).

Contrary to what some others posted, the iPhone is not tied to a single iTunes account. You can access an iTunes account from up to 5 PCs, but you can only sync your iPhone with one of those 5, which was the whole complaint of the original post if anyone took the time to read it.

Like I said above, the workaround is to use some other software to add/remove music.

Beware of these software programs. They work with the 1st gen Iphone, but they do not work with the new 3G Iphone. After using IMToo Ipod transfer, it copied the files to my phone, but now the itunes on my phone says "no music" and in my itunes, it says "this phone must be restored"...

I wrote IMTunes about this, and they said they are working on a version which will work with 3G. In the meantime, does anyone know other apps that work with the 3G Iphone, or should I just jailbreak the sucker and be done with it? LOL

 

[Elan]

I record meetings at work in mp3 format. From my work computer, I put them onto my iPod (which is synced to my home computer). I just switched to an iPhone, and I lost this functionality? No good reason for that, sorry.

 

[26139]

hmmm...

I record meetings at work in mp3 format. From my work computer, I put them onto my iPod (which is synced to my home computer). I just switched to an iPhone, and I lost this functionality? No good reason for that, sorry.

Repeat after me: An iPhone is different that an iPod. An iPhone is different than an iPod.

 

[Oman]

Repeat after me: An iPhone is different that an iPod. An iPhone is different than an iPod.

Is that your saying or Apple's? Apple says the iPhone is the best iPod they ever made? Why is it so difficult for you to understand that some consumers expected the same functionality from the iPod portion of their iPhone as they recieved from their regular iPod? After all it is the best iPod ever made?

 

[danny_w]

Repeat after me: An iPhone is different that an iPod. An iPhone is different than an iPod.

Then I guess you must agree that the when Steve Jobs said "the iPhone is the best iPod ever!" he didn't really mean it?!?!?!?!?

http://www.switched.com/2007/07/04/iphone-is-it-the-best-ipod-ever/

He was at least delusional to even think such a thing. OK, so the iPhone is great for a lot of things, but replacing an iPod is not one of them.

 

[26139]

Huh?

Why is it so difficult for you to understand that some consumers expected the same functionality from the iPod portion of their iPhone as they recieved from their regular iPod? After all it is the best iPod ever made?

I own an iPhone and multiple iPods. I researched the limitations before I bought an iPhone, as I didn't want to be one of those people who bitched after the fact about features that were never promised to be there in the first place.

 

[danny_w]

I own an iPhone and multiple iPods. I researched the limitations before I bought an iPhone, as I didn't want to be one of those people who bitched after the fact about features that were never promised to be there in the first place.

What part of "the best iPod ever made" don't people understand? While I realize that marketing is awash with hyperbole, this kind of slogan shouldn't be lightly tossed around, especially by SJ. Too many people took him at his word.

 

[26139]

hahahahahahahhaa

What part of "the best iPod ever made" don't people understand? While I realize that marketing is awash with hyperbole, this kind of slogan shouldn't be lightly tossed around, especially by SJ. Too many people took him at his word.

hahahahahaha...welcome to the world of advertising, buddy. Ever heard the phrases "new and improved" and "#1 in the world"? Ever take those literally?

Any customer who takes Steve Jobs words LITERALLY as they're spoken from a stage promoting Apple products need to get their heads checked.

And the functionality some people are asking for are not necessarily iPod functions. How many people record their meetings and then sync with their computers? I do, but 99% of iPod/iPhone users DON'T.

 

[Oman]

I own an iPhone and multiple iPods. I researched the limitations before I bought an iPhone, as I didn't want to be one of those people who bitched after the fact about features that were never promised to be there in the first place.

Oh Ok,,, had we known about your superior research skills we could have solicited answers from you about the limitations of the iPhone. Can we contact you in the future before making other purchases?

I am certain if all of us who have a problem with the iPhone limitations in this regard had known about it, it would not have stopped us from buying it. I see people on this forum point out various things about the iPhone that they do not like everyday on this forum, some I agree with some I do not. This is just one of the arguements I am in complete agreement with because I have never synched any of my Ipods, my son does not synch his nor does my GF. We all manually manage our iPods and iPhones, and create playlist to drop our music in. When I have my external HD connected to my laptop to transfer music to my iPhone and my GF says, put something on her iPhone or my son says put something on his, guess what? I can not, why? because of this issue. She will have to wait until I am done to connect the drive to her laptop and then drop the music on her iPhone as will my son. Where as with our iPods that is not the case. Can you now see why this is an issue?

 

[suellen]

Sorry to belabor this point, but I'm confused. I have a desktop computer onto which I downloaded music from iTunes years ago. I also have a laptop computer onto which I recently downloaded music from iTunes. I just got a new iPhone and have synched it with my laptop. Are you saying that there is no way for me to get the music from my desktop computer onto my iPhone?

 

[danny_w]

Sorry to belabor this point, but I'm confused. I have a desktop computer onto which I downloaded music from iTunes years ago. I also have a laptop computer onto which I recently downloaded music from iTunes. I just got a new iPhone and have synched it with my laptop. Are you saying that there is no way for me to get the music from my desktop computer onto my iPhone?

Without transferring that music to your laptop, I'm afraid not. There are workarounds as have been pointed out above using 3rd party software, but use them at your own risk.

 

[danny_w]

I'm sure it must be somewhere since you are so adamant about it, but can you show me exactly where in Apple documentation that it is spelled out that you cannot sync an iPhone with 2 computers the way you can with an iPod? Is it clear that this operation is different from that of the iPod?

I never got an answer to my question. Does anybody know? Without this kind of information, how were we supposed to know about the iPhone limitations that are supposedly so obvious we should have known?

 

[Elan]

Repeat after me: An iPhone is different that an iPod. An iPhone is different than an iPod.

I didn't say there wasn't a difference, I said there's no good reason why.

And I'm not talking about sync'ing, just manually copying an mp3 to my iphone without erasing everything on it, what's the big deal?