Posted by 42 on 04/26/06 17:26

In article <1heel6i.12swtaqbvlmdcN%nonesuch@place.com>,
nonesuch@place.com says...
> Gary <gary_w1@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'd like to join this discussion, too. I've just been given a new
> > iPod (it's currently on its way from China to the US...I'll have it
> > tomorrow). I've never used an iPod before, so I have a few questions.
> > I do own an Archos, which interfaces with the PC as a removable hard
> > disk, and you use Windows Explorer to move files around.
> >
> > Is this the way the iPod works, also? What function does iTunes add
> > to this, aside from giving you access to their library of stuff they
> > want to sell to you?

One major feature of itunes is that instead of manipulating files to and
from the ipod you manipulate playlists. If you have multiple playlists
with over-lapping songs itunes only loads the song once. Loading the
ipod is simply a matter of selecting which play lists you want.

(If you just want to load few particlular songs, its trivial to create a
playlist, add the songs to it, and add the playlist).

iTunes features smart playlists which can automatically generate and
update playlists based on a wide range of criteria. If you go out on the
web and look around you'll find lots of examples of people turning the
ipod into a "custom radio station" which pulls tracks from multiple
smart playlists into an everchanging playlist.

For example...

You might set it up a smart playlist to include your current favorite
songs (stored in a playlist), and then have it pull in a random
selection of 100 songs that you've rated 3 stars or better and have
heard least recently (a smart playlist), and a random selection of 50
songs that you've rated 1 star or better and haven't listened to for
over 2 months (another smart playlist), and perhaps the 20 songs you
most recently added to the itunes library (another smart playlist).

The end result is a playlist that always has your favorite songs, your
newest songs, and randomly rotates in a selection of songs that you
like, weighted towards songs you like "more", but including a bit of a
mix of stuff you haven't listened to in a while to keep it interesting.

Because of the ipod itunes integration, usage metadata used by the smart
playlists are synchronized back and forth. So your smart playlist that
only includes songs that you haven't listened to in a couple months will
know that you listened to the song on your ipod yesterday when you sync,
and rotate it out of the list.

Tracking all this metadata about your usage of the songs is one of the
reasons why you don't just use windows explorer to load the ipod. (It
tracks playcount, last played date, and you can also change the rating
of a song while its on the ipod, and all this gets synced back to
itunes.)

Of course if you like micro-managing your playlists on a daily basis, it
supports that too :)

> Though you can set up your iPod to act as a removeable disk drive which
> you can use to store or transfer any kind of files it does not give you
> direct manual access to your iPod's music library by that method ... you
> use iTunes for that.
>
> It's important to realise that the iTunes software need have nothing to
> do with Apple selling you things - that's up to you! It actually existed
> as a music management application long before it acquired the ability to
> access the iTunes Music Store. iTunes has an icon in its sidebar which
> allows you to click to get access to the music store ... it never pops
> up unwanted ... if you never click it you never see the store. (Recent
> iTunes versions have a "Ministore" section at the bottom of the main
> window which does do such things but there is a button to turn it off.)

In fact, there are preferences available to turn off *all* access to the
itunes music store entirely, if you do not want it.

> You use iTunes to rip CDs and keep track of your pre-existing mp3 or AAC
> files, convert formats, play videos, burn CDs, create playlists etc etc.
> iTunes shows your iPod in its sidebar when it is plugged in and allows
> you to drag music files on to it manually, or alternatively to
> automatically synchronise your entire music library.

iTunes playlist and library management tends to blow the competition
(Windows Media Player, and WinAmp) away, especially if you have a large
library. There are only one or two minor flaws that I've ever
encountered.

> If you are very happy with the performance and functionality of your
> current music management application it may be a bit of a pain to have
> to use iTunes for the iPod, but it is pretty good at what it does. If
> you definitely don't want to manage you music in iTunes' then you can
> just launch it and then drag your music files from whatever folder onto
> its icon in the sidebar. (Make sure you set the iPod to "Manually Manage
> songs and Playlists" in the iTunes Preferences settings first.)

Of if you simply hate iTunes and refuse to use it there are 3rd party
applications available.

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