switcher question: iTunes

maikeru · May 20, 2004

just switched
the old: thinkpad with xp
the new: powerbook with osX

i notice that when i rip a new cd in iTunes 4.5, it is in that apple format (mp4) ??

however, all my iTunes songs on the xp system are mp3

questions:
1) can i copy those old xp files to the mac and have it work with iTunes on powerbook and iPod ?
2) is there any quality difference between mp3 and apple ?
3) what is the best way to transfer a multi-GB collection ?

thanks !

Veldek · May 20, 2004

1) Yes, as long as they're mp3 and not WMA.
2) Apple says that AAC is better than mp3 at the same bitrate and some websites reviews support this. But you can select the import method in preferences. There you can select mp3, too, if you like that better.
3) Don't know, as I don't have GB...

virividox · May 20, 2004

when u say GB do u mean garage band or giga byte

i assume giga byte

ethernet is the easiest way

Veldek · May 20, 2004

virividox said:
when u say GB do u mean garage band or giga byte

i assume giga byte

ethernet is the easiest way

Oops, yeah, I got that one quite wrong, didn't I

Another possibility would be FireWire if your PC has it.

Zaty · May 20, 2004

virividox said:
when u say GB do u mean garage band or giga byte

i assume giga byte

ethernet is the easiest way

The easiest way is using an external HD (FW or USB2) because it's pretty hard to set up a working network connection in XP (especially in Home Edition). To the original poster: If you do use an external HD, make sure it's formatted in FAT32. (Panther can only read NTFS partitions but not write to them)

slowtreme · May 20, 2004

Zaty said:
...it's pretty hard to set up a working network connection in XP (especially in Home Edition...)

WTH, Is this post for real?

Assuming you have a network with DHCP in place, For the XP Notebook:
1) Plug in Cat5 (drivers and everything are already installed in XP)
2) browse to the folder with all your music, right click and select Sharing and Security.
3) Click Share this folder on the network. Done.

Now from your Mac, plug it into the same network, go to finder, and connect to new server. Put in the computer name of your thinkpad, and then select the name of the share to mount (the folder you shared above).

Now open iTunes, select Add File to library, open the browse to the shared music and highlight the songs. iTunes will copy them all to the correct iTunes folders.

Again this assumes you have a DHCP network, like a soho router and a couple patch cables. Otherwise you'll need a Crossover cable and there will be a few extra steps on the mac side to assign an IP to your NIC.

johnnyjibbs · May 20, 2004

AAC is default and is better than MP3 (better quality, newer codec). I use AAC to rip all my tunes from CDs, as do most iTunes users.

If you really want to change what you rip in, go to iTunes -> Preferences -> Import tab -> change AAC to MP3.

All your existing music that is MP3 can be played in iTunes as MP3s. Just copy them over via ethernet or firewire (as already mentioned above) and use them automatically then in iTunes. DO NOT CONVERT MP3 to AAC --> this conversion will result in substantially poorer quality.

mj_1903 · May 20, 2004

Quite possibly the fastest is to plug in your iPod, download iPodRip from my website and import the songs to hard drive. It generally is 3-4x faster than an ethernet connection and a lot faster to setup.

You can use it for free as well, so feel free.

Earendil · May 20, 2004

slowtreme said:
WTH, Is this post for real?

Assuming you have a network with DHCP in place, For the XP Notebook:
1) Plug in Cat5 (drivers and everything are already installed in XP)
2) browse to the folder with all your music, right click and select Sharing and Security.
3) Click Share this folder on the network. Done.

Now from your Mac, plug it into the same network, go to finder, and connect to new server. Put in the computer name of your thinkpad, and then select the name of the share to mount (the folder you shared above).

Now open iTunes, select Add File to library, open the browse to the shared music and highlight the songs. iTunes will copy them all to the correct iTunes folders.

Again this assumes you have a DHCP network, like a soho router and a couple patch cables. Otherwise you'll need a Crossover cable and there will be a few extra steps on the mac side to assign an IP to your NIC.

He is serious. Compared to the way Macs have been doing networks for years now, the things you have to go through, and the luck you need for Windows XP home is horridness. I have a G4 Powerbook Panther and tried to connect to my gf's XP home notebook. After failing repeatedly I went to two PC lovin' (Apple Hatin') friends who told me how to do it over XP. After the less than 3 step process they gave me I asked if it mattered if it was Home addition. At this comment they rolled their eyes, and wished me luck. (2 separate guys, on two separate occasions btw). I finally, after much therapy (for the notebook and me) managed to get the two connected on our 5th session together. I still don't understand HOW I did it, but I can replicate it I believe (something about HAVING to view the network folder in a specific view, or else you can't see the drive?!). Manual IP entree, computer name entree, and having to use a specific view? After all that I couldn't even see her HD!! She oculd see me but not vise versa... I had about 4 different "sharings" turned on that all seemed to be file sharing, file walls off, golly it was annoying. Still failed though.. of well, we got the files transfered...

So, yes, compared to Panther (and to the rest of the world I hear) XP Home sucks pretty hard when it comes to networks. I'm told the other Windows OS's are better about this

I'll stick with my 4 comp mixed Panther/Jaguar set up any day, sure there are bad days. Though most times it's one of the Powerbooks auto turning off sharing (how to you override that btw?), but generally I can plug in and be connected to the other 3 computers in 30 seconds.

Tyler
Earendil

ps - Parting shot,
I suppose I see you point about it not being hard though, I mean hell, you can actually DO it, right? That's gonna mean something for Windows

idkew · May 20, 2004

to nitpick:

itunes encodes as an .m4a not an .aac.

it is a dolby codec, mpeg-4 to be exact. (.m4a = mpeg 4 audio, .aac = advanced audio codec).

apple does not own this codec. the only thing that makes an .aac owned by apple is the fairplay encryption used on songs purchased from the iTMS.

applebum · May 20, 2004

Earendil said:
He is serious. Compared to the way Macs have been doing networks for years now, the things you have to go through, and the luck you need for Windows XP home is horridness. I have a G4 Powerbook Panther and tried to connect to my gf's XP home notebook. After failing repeatedly I went to two PC lovin' (Apple Hatin') friends who told me how to do it over XP. After the less than 3 step process they gave me I asked if it mattered if it was Home addition. At this comment they rolled their eyes, and wished me luck. (2 separate guys, on two separate occasions btw). I finally, after much therapy (for the notebook and me) managed to get the two connected on our 5th session together. I still don't understand HOW I did it, but I can replicate it I believe (something about HAVING to view the network folder in a specific view, or else you can't see the drive?!). Manual IP entree, computer name entree, and having to use a specific view? After all that I couldn't even see her HD!! She oculd see me but not vise versa... I had about 4 different "sharings" turned on that all seemed to be file sharing, file walls off, golly it was annoying. Still failed though.. of well, we got the files transfered...

So, yes, compared to Panther (and to the rest of the world I hear) XP Home sucks pretty hard when it comes to networks. I'm told the other Windows OS's are better about this
I'll stick with my 4 comp mixed Panther/Jaguar set up any day, sure there are bad days. Though most times it's one of the Powerbooks auto turning off sharing (how to you override that btw?), but generally I can plug in and be connected to the other 3 computers in 30 seconds.

Tyler
Earendil

ps - Parting shot,
I suppose I see you point about it not being hard though, I mean hell, you can actually DO it, right? That's gonna mean something for Windows

Ok, I am no computer genius, but it was very easy for me on XP Home Edition. If all your computers are on the same network (plugged into a router), and you have Windows File Sharing turned on on your Mac, then on your Mac: go to System Preferences, Sharing, Windows Sharing - If there is a check mark in the box, when you click on Windows Sharing it will tell you the address for a windows machine to access your Mac. Then on your PC: you simply go into Windows Explorer (not IE) and then in the file menu click on Tools, map network drive, put in the address you got from your Mac, and hit enter. You should now see your Mac's hard drive in your explorer window and you can transfer files back and forth.

I was always able to connect this way - I could never figure out how to connect via the Mac to the PC. Once you are connected, just transfer your iTunes music files from the PC onto your Mac.

Again, I am no computer geek, I just tried this one night and it worked.

redAPPLE · May 20, 2004

applebum said:
Ok, I am no computer genius, but it was very easy for me on XP Home Edition. If all your computers are on the same network (plugged into a router), and you have Windows File Sharing turned on on your Mac, then on your Mac: go to System Preferences, Sharing, Windows Sharing - If there is a check mark in the box, when you click on Windows Sharing it will tell you the address for a windows machine to access your Mac. Then on your PC: you simply go into Windows Explorer (not IE) and then in the file menu click on Tools, map network drive, put in the address you got from your Mac, and hit enter. You should now see your Mac's hard drive in your explorer window and you can transfer files back and forth.

I was always able to connect this way - I could never figure out how to connect via the Mac to the PC. Once you are connected, just transfer your iTunes music files from the PC onto your Mac.

Again, I am no computer geek, I just tried this one night and it worked.

i tried this. but i cannot seem to see my firelwire drives...

applebum · May 20, 2004

redAPPLE said:
i tried this. but i cannot seem to see my firelwire drives...

I think this only gives you access to the Mac's internal hard drive. You would have to have a seperate address for each firewire drive. I didn't have a firewire drive, so I can't be 100% sure.

slowtreme · May 20, 2004

Earendil said:
I still don't understand HOW I did it, but I can replicate it I believe (something about HAVING to view the network folder in a specific view, or else you can't see the drive?!). Manual IP entree, computer name entree, and having to use a specific view? After all that I couldn't even see her HD!!

Well I still am going to cry foul.

I find it's MUCH easier to have setup a WinXP (Pro vs Home is non issue) share and have OSX connect to it, than the other way around.

In Windows you can share any folder in the system other than "My Documents". On OSX, you almost have to place your data in the Shared User folder and turn on Windows Sharing in the control panel.

I'm not going to debate which system has better security, or an easier system to share files for like systems, but if you want to get data from a PC to a Mac, the best method is to have the Mac pickup from the PC, and not Push data from the PC to the Mac. But again, this is all on a DHCP network.

YMMV

MacBoyX · May 20, 2004

slowtreme said:
Well I still am going to cry foul.

I find it's MUCH easier to have setup a WinXP (Pro vs Home is non issue) share and have OSX connect to it, than the other way around.

In Windows you can share any folder in the system other than "My Documents". On OSX, you almost have to place your data in the Shared User folder and turn on Windows Sharing in the control panel.

I'm not going to debate which system has better security, or an easier system to share files for like systems, but if you want to get data from a PC to a Mac, the best method is to have the Mac pickup from the PC, and not Push data from the PC to the Mac. But again, this is all on a DHCP network.

YMMV

Untrue. The moment you turn on Windows Sharing, you entire home directory is available. You need to map a drive in Windows to \\youripaddress\yourusername and connect using LogOn As. Also you can turn on FTP and open ur entire Mac as an FTP server

But I agree. It's easier to go the other way.

macboyX

DGFan · May 20, 2004

idkew said:
to nitpick:

itunes encodes as an .m4a not an .aac.

it is a dolby codec, mpeg-4 to be exact. (.m4a = mpeg 4 audio, .aac = advanced audio codec).

apple does not own this codec. the only thing that makes an .aac owned by apple is the fairplay encryption used on songs purchased from the iTMS.

The first part is not true.

AAC is the audio coding of MPEG-4

so says Apple
http://www.apple.com/itunes/jukebox.html

and other people
http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/standards/mpeg-4/mpeg-4.htm

AAC allows for encryption and, as you said, Fairplay is the encryption used.

idkew · May 20, 2004

encode a cd on itunes. check what type of file is made. you will see it is a .m4a.

like i said, they basically are the same (.m4a = .aac), except .aac allows encryption. .aac also might have a special "wrapper"

DGFan · May 20, 2004

idkew said:
encode a cd on itunes. check what type of file is made. you will see it is a .m4a.

like i said, they basically are the same (.m4a = .aac), except .aac allows encryption. .aac also might have a special "wrapper"

What I am trying to say is that .m4a = .aac = AAC
.m4a allows encryption
it's not that Apple *did* something AAC to change it so it can use encryption

idkew · May 20, 2004

ok, not sure if were are arguing a different point, or even the same thing.

switcher question: iTunes

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