iPod touch Apps, Media on Multiple Computers

[dino0829]

I'm a 20-year Mac user, and (amazingly) getting my first iPod (touch, 16gb) next week, as part of the back2school. My new MacBook's arriving about a week later, since I customized to the 250 drive.
Anyway, I want to use the iPT right away (naturally), with my current iBook G4, putting 2.0 firmware on it, some apps, and everything else. When my MacBook arrives, and I start syncing it with that, is it going to wipe out all the apps & stuff? I've done some searches here, and it seems I could just drag and drop music and movies at first, (and sync later), but I don't want to spend a bunch on apps if it locks me into this iBook. And any photos will be wiped out with a sync to a new machine, right? Sorry, but this is a tad confusing, with different rules for different files.
Anything advice about using multiple computers? Thanks!

 

[Night Spring]

Basically, just copy all media (music, video, photos) from your old iBook to the new MacBook, and you'll be fine. The apps especially you don't need to worry about -- just authorize your new MacBook with the same iTunes account you used to purchase the apps, and you can redownload all previously purchased apps for free.

 

[dino0829]

Thanks, Night Spring. That's a relief. I thought I read somewhere you can't use photos from two different machines. So, good to know.

 

[Night Spring]

I thought I read somewhere you can't use photos from two different machines.

Hm, now that I think about it, I don't think you can, not *at once*. But in your case, you are just moving from one machine to another, not trying to sync to two computers at the same time. Just make sure all the stuff you want to keep are copied from the old machine to the new one!

 

[iOrlando]

question here:

couldnt he just hook up the ipod to the new laptop...all the stuff will just transfer over.

 

[dino0829]

Good question. I guess I thought the sync worked one-way, but you guys are the experts. That would be great if it were that easy, but somehow I doubt it. Anybody else?

 

[Night Spring]

question here:

couldnt he just hook up the ipod to the new laptop...all the stuff will just transfer over.

NOOOOO!!!! That would just delete everything off the iPod.

iTunes-iPod sync just works one-way, from iTunes to the iPod. Apple doesn't want people copying things from the iPod to a computer, because that way people could just give away all their music and videos to friends for free.

 

[dino0829]

Thanks, Night Spring! Good lookin' out, as they say. I guess I'll just keep everything neat and tidy here on the desktop, little 'care packages' to switch over. And if all else fails, I guess I could always read the instructions!
Thanks for your help gang. My iTouch is in Toledo, Ohio right now, headed my way on Tuesday. Can't wait. (MacBook on Friday, too!)

 

[aethelbert]

If you have Leopard and iLife '08 on the iBook, you could just use a time machine backup and restore from that. If not, you could use Migration Assistant to move the files in users / yourname / Music / iTunes into the same directory on the new computer. That would transfer everything, including syncing info. For Photos, just move the foler users / yourname / Photos / iPhoto Library (or Aperture Library if that's your app).

The reason that I mention using iLife 08 with Time Machine is that I don't think that iPhoto 08 will work with a library from 06 (or 05 or 04). I'm pretty sure that the folder gets updated during the upgrade process going to the latest version. Since that won't work, you'll probably need to drag all of the photos out of the app into a folder and push them over with Migration Assistant. From there, you could just re-import the folder (or manually select photos to organize into events).

You'll need to move your libraries over to the new computer anyway, so there's no reason not to use the iPod with the iBook.

 

[iOrlando]

So if i have 100s of songs and dozens of movies on a PC..and I want it on a mac...what is the easiest way of getting that stuff to the new mac?