iTunes + iPod driving me nuts

[someguy]

I'll skip the story which involves a lot of me being confused and cursing at my Shuffle and just let you know what I am having trouble with.

I want to put some songs from my PowerBook and some songs from my iMac on the same iPod. When I plug it into one machine (either), everything is fine. I transfer my songs, no problem.

Then when I connect it to the other machine, it says that it's linked to another iTunes library and if I want to replace the songs or whatever. If I say "No", the iPod disconnects and I can't transfer anything to it or read from it. If I say "Yes", all my data disappears from the iPod. Excellent!

So, wtf? Is it not possible to have some music from one machine and some from another. Using the Shuffle as a data storage device yields the same results (for transfering music in iTunes, reading/writing data works fine). Does Apple want us to buy seperate iPods for each individual computer or something?

What's going on?


Oh, and if it matters, one machine is Panther and one is Tiger...

 

[eva01]

There is a preference to make it so that you manually update iPod and you also have to have it checked to enable disk use

 

[someguy]

Where is that setting at?

Also, how does it relate to my problem? Meaning, in what way do I have to set things up - in the iPod or in iTunes - so that I can go from one computer to the next and transfer songs to the iPod without worrying about losing the data?

 

[eva01]

Where is that setting at?

Also, how does it relate to my problem? Meaning, in what way do I have to set things up - in the iPod or in iTunes - so that I can go from one computer to the next and transfer songs to the iPod without worrying about losing the data?

if you set things to manually update iPod. it wont auto do anything you will have to drag songs to the iPod. and eject it manually.

the setting is located in the iPod preference of iTunes

 

[someguy]

I don't see that setting anywhere. What is it called (exactly as it is read in the settings window)?

Oh, and also, how do I change this setting on my iMac which the iPod is not plugged into at the moment? I know your thinking "duh, plug it in", but then I have to answer that question again and either not be able to use the iPod or have everything that is on it now erased...

 

[eva01]

here is an image


I believe you have to have the iPod plugged in to get to the setting.

So you will just have to get everything erased one more time and then you will be fine.


*Warning* remember you have to manually eject your iPod

 

[someguy]

Wow, you're window is completely different than mine.

 

[eva01]

Wow, you're window is completely different than mine.

Well maybe the window is different for different iPods.

Sorry I assumed that they were similar :/

 

[someguy]

Well maybe the window is different for different iPods.

Sorry I assumed that they were similar :/

No problem. Remember, my little Shuffle has next to no features at all, so perhaps someone with a Shuffle and multiple Macs can tell me something more?

Unless of course, you'd like to trade iPods. I mean, that would solve the problem I'm having.

 

[Chundles]

No problem. Remember, my little Shuffle has next to no features at all, so perhaps someone with a Shuffle and multiple Macs can tell me something more?

Unless of course, you'd like to trade iPods. I mean, that would solve the problem I'm having.

The shuffle is a whole different beast to the other iPods, it can only be linked to one computer. You can't go from one to another with a shuffle. The only way would be to transfer the music into the shuffle as a USB drive then put those songs into the iTunes library on the computer to which it is associated.

This is a sell-up feature of the other iPods, the shuffle is a massively stripped back iPod, if you want more features you have to buy a nano or a 5G.

Sorry mate, it's not possible to do what you're trying to do with a shuffle.

 

[someguy]

The only way would be to transfer the music into the shuffle as a USB drive then put those songs into the iTunes library on the computer to which it is associated.

This is what I've been doing so I guess I'll continue doing it this way. Thanks for the information.