Multiple Ipods and 1 itunes

[Kussemek]

We have two ipod's, one for me and one for my dad. My computer is the only one that has itunes on it and my dad has books on his ipod. i tried to delete some of the books from the library list which unfortunately deleted it off his system when i tried to update his. is there away for multiple ipods using the same itunes to customize the playlists that are transferred from itunes to the ipod?
thanks.

 

[MemphisSoulStew]

You have to set iTunes to manually manage your playlists. Connect an iPod to your Mac, then click the iPod options button that appears in the lower right hand corner of your iTunes window. There will be a check box to manually manage your playlists etc. Click this. From now on you'll only be able to update your iPods manually. If you ever want to change back to automatic updating go through the same procedure but click the button to make automatic updates.

 

[Kussemek]

Thanks, I tried to doing that. I have just one problem, after the itunes program says the update is complete my ipod still has the 'do not disconnect' thing flashing, any clue as to why?

 

[PrometheusG5]

You don't have to manually manage playlists. iTunes has options for each iPod you have connected to it. So with the iPods connected, click on the iPod options in iTunes, and you can tell iTunes to Automatically synchronized selected playlists. So you could create playlists for you and your dad, and just tell iTunes which playlists to sync to each iPod.

For example, I have an iPod I use for commuting and one I have for the gym. I have different playlists for each one, and each time I sync up with iTunes, it only syncs the playlists I have selected for each one.

(Sorry if that sounds convoluted...it's actually a very simple process.)

As for your specific question, I think you have to manually eject the iPod after synchronization.

 

[MemphisSoulStew]

You don't have to manually manage playlists. iTunes has options for each iPod you have connected to it. So with the iPods connected, click on the iPod options in iTunes, and you can tell iTunes to Automatically synchronized selected playlists. So you could create playlists for you and your dad, and just tell iTunes which playlists to sync to each iPod.

For example, I have an iPod I use for commuting and one I have for the gym. I have different playlists for each one, and each time I sync up with iTunes, it only syncs the playlists I have selected for each one.

(Sorry if that sounds convoluted...it's actually a very simple process.)

As for your specific question, I think you have to manually eject the iPod after synchronization.

Aaah, I didn't realise you could do that - I've only got one iPod so never needed to do it, but that is far more elegant than my solution.

And yes, I agree that you have to manually eject the iPod if you manually manage your playlists.

 

[Kussemek]

This might be because I am not so keen on itunes, but i dont really see a difference between your two suggestions. what am i missing? sorry for the stupid questions...

 

[MemphisSoulStew]

This might be because I am not so keen on itunes, but i dont really see a difference between your two suggestions. what am i missing? sorry for the stupid questions...

In my suggestion you have to manually update your iPod playlists every time you connect. So every time you connect your iPod you'd have to click on the iPod preferences button in iTunes, then select the playlists that you want to update on each iPod. Plus you'd need to manually eject the iPod using the eject button in iTunes.

In PrometheusG5's suggestion you can automatically update selected playlists for each seperate iPod. Plug in an iPod, click on the preferences button, click on the option to automatically update selected playlists, and tick the relevant playlists. Do the same for the other iPod, selecting different playlists. Next time you plug in either iPod it will automatically update only those playlists that you had selected earlier - you won't have to open iPod preferences and select the various playlists, and you shouldn't have to manually eject it either.

As I say I've never tried this as I only have one iPod which mirrors my iTunes library.

 

[PrometheusG5]

What I do to simplify the automatic update of my iPods is connect them through a FireWire hub. That way you don't have to keep unplugging the iPods. They will all show up in iTunes, and you can set the options for each. I have 4 iPods, and connecting them through a hub works great.

 

[dinis80654]

Managing iTunes libraries on multiple iPods?

I read the previous threads but I want to know how to manage different libraries for my two iPods... I actually changed the settings to manual updating, then unchecked all the songs I didn't want on my one ipod, went to file, and the "update songs on ipod" was whited out, and the only way I could update it was changing the manual back to automatic...
Well...I got the songs I wanted on my one ipod, but now I want to hook up my second one and will have to go through my entire library to check all the songs once again to upload on my second ipod...Is there a way to save the libraries for one Ipod and another (and even a mini,) without having multiple separate Itunes accounts?
Hopefully this makes sense...

 

[pjgulliver]

Different Users

Wouldn't another way to do this be assigning different user logons to each owner, and therefore allowing each to have a private iTunes library, and thus private iPod?

 

[dustininsf]

if you have the iPod set to manually update, you can simply drag playlists or large selections of files from the iTunes library (either from the browse view or from playlists in the sidebar). No need to check or uncheck all of those boxes... if you then want to remove music from the iPod, simply select it in the sidebar, which will cause the browse view to then be looking at the music ON the iPod and delete whatever you'd like. Because the iPod and iTunes libraries are not automatically syncing, you're simply removing the files from the iPod.

By clicking on the arrow to the left of the iPod in the sidebar (causing it to expand and show it's playlists) you can manipulate the playlists directly on the Pod... delete, add new ones, modify, etc.

(And to be clear, even if you select the option of "automatically update selected playlists", it's still in Manual Update mode... just slightly less manual. You either get automatic mirroring of the iTunes library or variations on a manual update mode--where you MUST eject the iPod before disconnecting)

 

[tomaplaw]

ipod for me and ipod mini for sister on same itunes ?

hey, i am not sure how to get two differnt playlists on the same itunes ? if you can ? because we like differnt music and we only have one pc. so how do i get it tht she has her songs and i have my own ones, without our ipods updating eachothers songs. can anyone do like a step by step thing , it would REALLY help ! thanks