New computer, old iPod

[TyWahn]

I got a new iMac .. and now I want my old iPod to recognize it as my home computer so I can manage my songs with out using 3rd party software .. any ideas?

 

[Kwyjibo]

why are you opposed to third party software, thats the easiest way to get songs from your old ipod to your new imac

 

[Awimoway]

If you have other means of transferring the music, playlists, etc. then no problem. You just plug the iPod into the new computer and it will ask you if you want to make your new computer the home computer for your iPod. Then all your music and playlists will be re-copied to your iPod.

If you don't have any means of transferring music and playlists to the new computer without using the iPod, I think you will absolutely have to use third-party software.

But the thing is that you only need to use the third-party software once to make the first transfer of music to the new computer. After that, you can use iTunes to make the new computer your home computer and your iPod will sync normally.

Just be sure to shop around. Some of the third-party apps are ridiculously overpriced. I'm not sure if there are any free ones, but there are some for as little as $10.

 

[Chomolungma]

three computer limit?

Originally posted by Awimoway
If you have other means of transferring the music, playlists, etc. then no problem. You just plug the iPod into the new computer and it will ask you if you want to make your new computer the home computer for your iPod. Then all your music and playlists will be re-copied to your iPod.

Is it true that you can only copy songs brought via iTune Music Store to three computers? It it is, and suppose we follow the rule in good faith, there will certainly be problems!?

-Chomo

 

[Awimoway]

Not sure I understand all of your question. It is true that you can only play iTunes music on 3 computers, unless of course you burn the AAC files to a disk as AIFFs and then rip them a fourth computer. But you'll lose some sound quality of course.

Anyway, all you have to do when you copy protected music to another computer is authorize the music for that computer.

What I don't know is whether you can re-download directly to the 2nd and 3rd authorized computers from iTunes music store. I read a review of iTunes for Windows, and the reviewer said that he couldn't do this. But maybe on Macs this is different.

 

[Chomolungma]

Originally posted by Awimoway
Not sure I understand all of your question. It is true that you can only play iTunes music on 3 computers, unless of course you burn the AAC files to a disk as AIFFs and then rip them a fourth computer. But you'll lose some sound quality of course.

Anyway, all you have to do when you copy protected music to another computer is authorize the music for that computer.

What I don't know is whether you can re-download directly to the 2nd and 3rd authorized computers from iTunes music store. I read a review of iTunes for Windows, and the reviewer said that he couldn't do this. But maybe on Macs this is different.

I'm confuse. Who would have thought owning a song would involve this much of law .
How about selling me a song in AIFF format and letting me use it the way I want to as long as it is for personal use. Is this too much to ask? Apparently, Apple thinks most of us have natural criminal instincts and we are all out to take advantage to them.

 

[sahnert]

Originally posted by Chomolungma
Apparently, Apple thinks most of us have natural criminal instincts and we are all out to take advantage to them.

Apple probably didn't have much choice in the matter. In order to get deals with the major rcord labels to even be able to sell the songs at all they had to agree to protect the songs from piracy somehow.

Off topic a bit though.

TyWahn: I assume you mean you don't want to use 3rd party software to manage your music, not that you don't want to use 3rd party to transfer, right? I downloaded shareware program iPodRip and only had to use it once to get the songs on my new computer then use iTunes for everything after that. Caveat: I didn't check the settings before I transferred the files and it ended up putting 600+ songs on my desktop. That was fun to clean up. All you have to do is make sure the songs are going to ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music and then in iTunes go to Preferences>advanced and check "keep my iTunes folder organized"
and it will make nice folders with artist and album for all your individual files.
Then as previous poster said, when you connect your iPod and start iTunes it will ask you what you want to do, an just specify that this is your home computer now.

 

[G5orbust]

iPodRip should help you out and it does it all for free (10 trial uses)