iPad syncing issues getting on my nerves... suggestions?

[Swampthing]

When I first got my iPad 3G 64GB, I decided to sync as a new device and auto sync apps. Okay, but that put 22 pages of apps on my device and I was forced to spend at least a couple hours culling them down to just to fit the ones I want on the iPad... about 160.

Spent a good portion of the day yesterday filling up my iPad with comics and movies, and suddenly it gave a sync error. wtf. So I try syncing and it recognizes it as a new iPad again, and deletes all my movies and tv shows. double wtf.

Then I notice the syn apps tab is getting ready to put every single app back on my iPad once again, all 22 pages worth, so I hit the check box and stopped the sync apps function. It asks me if I want to delete all 160 apps, and of course I say no.

So then it goes to back up. A couple hours later it finishes, and this morning when I go to sync again, the syn apps box is empty, so now my apps won't sync properly. triple wtf.

Is there anyway to fix this without putting everything back onto my iPad and deleting all the hours of work I spent on putting the comics there? How do I get the iPad to understand "yeah... well, I really DO want to sync apps, but don't add the unchecked apps in the list and put them on my device again... and don't delete the ones already there and replace with the whole setup all over again?"

 

[r0k]

I don't sync. I simply plug in and pick "transfer purchases" to back up my apps. I tried turning off app sync but it didn't work. I've heard you have no choice but to sit there and weed out which apps you want in order to do a sync. I would complain to Apple about this. As an owner of two ithings, I should not have to think about my iPod touch apps overrunning my iPad or vice versa. Since I only listen to music on my iPad in pandora, I don't need to sync. If you absolutely need to sync, make a genius appointment at the apple store and take your Mac and your iPad in and go through it with them. If enough of us make Apple geniuses sit through our messed up 45 minute syncs maybe Apple will get the message and fix this. But for now, I would simply not sync, only back up.

 

[iRabbit]

I notice this yesterday myself... The way iTunes is set up to sync apps it just confusing and cumbersome. iPhone and iPad apps should be separated. I will rarely put an iPhone app in my iPad and should't have to worry about that list all the time.

 

[Swampthing]

I really wish there was a way for you to pre-select a set of apps for each device to sync or resync if necessary. I'm really not looking forward to another couple of hours deselecting those boxes in iTunes again.