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iPod Mac vs PC formatted iPod?

Laser47

Laser47

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 8, 2004
856
0
Maryland
I have a pc and a mac and I was wondering if there was any advantages of mac formatting my ipod over formatting it on the pc, i have macdrive so the pc can read mac formatted drives.
 
The Mac formatting is ever so slightly less likely to be corrupted due to your using it as a portable drive. The difference is so minimal that you really may as well format it for PC, it's barely even worth mentioning.

Remember that you cannot update the firmware from hardware that the iPod is not formatted for. In other words, if you format it for PC you will still be unable to issue the updates of the firmware only (not the music) from the Mac. This isn't really an issue because relevant updates are so few and far between. :)
 
since ipods dont support ntfs, the pc format is fat32. that's great and everything unless you need to hold files over 2gb...(fat32's max file size)
 
ok, i guess ill be formatting my ipod for the mac since my pc is being moved out of my room because i got an ibook.
thanks for your replies.
 
I didn't pay attention to whether my new iPod was reformatted to FAT32 when I hooked it up to my Dell or whether it already shipped as FAT32. That would be my guess since 90+% of users will hook it up to a Windows PC. Including myself. :(

After the Intel switch I'll get myself a new Mac desktop, but until then my iTunes library will have to live on the Dell.

B
 
Mac is definitely better. I had my iPods formatted on Windows and they froze a lot/didn't scroll smoothly/stalled a lot with a flawless and virus-free music collection. I put that flawless music collection on my Mac, reformatted the iPods and they're like brand new units. I didn't know how perfectly iPods could run until I switched to the Mac formatting.

Daniel
 
balamw said:
I didn't pay attention to whether my new iPod was reformatted to FAT32 when I hooked it up to my Dell or whether it already shipped as FAT32. That would be my guess since 90+% of users will hook it up to a Windows PC. Including myself. :(

After the Intel switch I'll get myself a new Mac desktop, but until then my iTunes library will have to live on the Dell.

B
Click to expand...
you should be fine using the ipod with your ibook--macs can read pc formatted ipods :)
 
homerjward said:
you should be fine using the ipod with your ibook--macs can read pc formatted ipods :)
Click to expand...

I have a question - can PCs read Mac formatted iPods?

See, most of my music is on my PC desktop (larger HDD), but I'd like to sync my iPod with Address Book and iCal on my PowerBook because I hate Outlook.
 
macguymike said:
I have a question - can PCs read Mac formatted iPods?

See, most of my music is on my PC desktop (larger HDD), but I'd like to sync my iPod with Address Book and iCal on my PowerBook because I hate Outlook.
Click to expand...

Not without a third party program like macdrive.
 
Chundles said:
Not without a third party program like macdrive.
Click to expand...

That's... disappointing. Expected, but disappointing.

No way to sync with Address Book and iCal without Mac formatting the iPod either, I suppose?
 
macguymike said:
No way to sync with Address Book and iCal without Mac formatting the iPod either, I suppose?
Click to expand...


I thought a PC-formatted iPod could sync with Address Book and iCal. :)

I'll test it out for you when mine comes back (or is replaced) from Apple.
 
It's the classic dilemma. Do you mac format the iPod so it is more stable (it totally is), or do you PC format it so you can use it on both platforms (of particular importance if you use it as a hard drive as well).
 
conditionals said:
It's the classic dilemma. Do you mac format the iPod so it is more stable (it totally is), or do you PC format it so you can use it on both platforms (of particular importance if you use it as a hard drive as well).
Click to expand...

what if i have a shuffle? can i format it for mac and then use it as a flash drive on a mac or pc without having to use macdrive?
 
My brother has a 4gb Mini but no library. I am helping him and loading it from my library. I noticed it is formatted in PC, b/c his retarded girlfriend decided to load the software on her PC and erase all the music. Now I am loading it back with my library.

Question is how do I change the formatting AND will it erase everything again? (I'm guessing it will).
 
wattage said:
Question is how do I change the formatting AND will it erase everything again? (I'm guessing it will).
Click to expand...

You can change the format with the iPod Updater software that comes on the CD with the iPod.

Yes, it will reformat the drive and erase the music you have on it.
 
mad jew said:
I thought a PC-formatted iPod could sync with Address Book and iCal. :)

I'll test it out for you when mine comes back (or is replaced) from Apple.
Click to expand...


I haven't seen any way to do so yet. The relevant tabs are missing in the iPod settings panel in iTunes when I connect my iPod to my PowerBook.

But, I'd appreciate the effort anyway. :)
 
I would always reccomend FAT32 on an iPod.

Why?

Just about every OS can Read/Write to it, so if you want to transfer a big file and don't/can't CD/DVD it your iPod is much easier and quicker.

Just don't put NTFS on it, i speak from personal experience :eek:
 
PC Format + Mac Sync solution!

macguymike said:
I haven't seen any way to do so yet. The relevant tabs are missing in the iPod settings panel in iTunes when I connect my iPod to my PowerBook.
Click to expand...

I discovered a copy of Pod2Go that I had stopped using a while back (v.0.7.3... when it was still free) and it works (with a catch*) to sync both Address Book and iCal to my PC formatted iPod. :)


*For some reason, I could not get it to sync my calendar named "Work Schedule". It picked up all five of my other calendars, though. I even tried deleting an unnecessary calendar to see if it would make room for the work calendar but to no avail. I tried renaming the calendar to just "Work" and that was not successful either. I have no idea why it's not catching this one calendar.


Update: I can manually export the iCal calendar and toss it into the "Calendars" folder on the iPod and that works perfectly! You have to access the calendar-view first for the new calendar to show up, but then it shows up normally.

Success!
 
carpe diem said:
Just get it mac formatted it will be better for it.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you didn't read my original post here.

I can't (won't) Mac format it. The vast majority of my music is on my PC because my tower has a much larger HD than my PowerBook's 40GB. I'd rather not dump all my music on my laptop and crowd the HD to almost max capacity just so I can have my iPod Mac formatted.

I'd rather have it work on both of my machines.
 
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