iPod touch Several Newbie 'Touch' questions

[andygrunt]

Hi,

I'm on the verge of buying a 16Gb iPod Touch (and update it to the latest firmware) but I have a few questions. Note that I'm in the UK and using this experience partly as a test to see if it would be feasible for me to move over to an iPhone in the future. This will be my first iPod of any kind and I use a Windows XP PC that has 'Outlook Express' (not 'Outlook').

1 - Will an iPod Touch/iPhone sync contacts with 'Outlook Express'?
2 - Will iTunes be able to copy over email settings from 'Outlook Express' to iPhone/Touch?
3 - Is it possible to copy a file over to iPhone/Touch such as a PDF or a text doc? I'm aware iTunes syncs contacts etc between a PC and device but I've not heard if/how other individual files are copied over.
4 - If I can copy a PDF or Text doc over, can I view it on a touch? What about RTF and 'Word' documents?
5 - I have several email accounts. Is it possible to choose which one(s) are updated during a session? i.e. only download new messages from selected accounts.
6 - Is it possible to add a song to a playlist as it's playing? i.e. not having to wait until it's connected to iTunes.

Thanks.

 

[intempo808]

Hi,

I'm on the verge of buying a 16Gb iPod Touch (and update it to the latest firmware) but I have a few questions. Note that I'm in the UK and using this experience partly as a test to see if it would be feasible for me to move over to an iPhone in the future. This will be my first iPod of any kind and I use a Windows XP PC that has 'Outlook Express' (not 'Outlook').

1 - Will an iPod Touch/iPhone sync contacts with 'Outlook Express'?
2 - Will iTunes be able to copy over email settings from 'Outlook Express' to iPhone/Touch?
3 - Is it possible to copy a file over to iPhone/Touch such as a PDF or a text doc? I'm aware iTunes syncs contacts etc between a PC and device but I've not heard if/how other individual files are copied over.
4 - If I can copy a PDF or Text doc over, can I view it on a touch? What about RTF and 'Word' documents?
5 - I have several email accounts. Is it possible to choose which one(s) are updated during a session? i.e. only download new messages from selected accounts.
6 - Is it possible to add a song to a playlist as it's playing? i.e. not having to wait until it's connected to iTunes.

Thanks.

1. Yes, i'm almost 100% sure its possible through iTunes.
2. Not too sure about that one.
3. Nope, iPod Touch isn't able to be used as disk space (yet or unless you "jailbreak" it (risky))
4. N/A
5. I think so.
6. You can add any song to the "On-The-Go" playlist, but not to other playlists unless its the "Purchased" playlist, which songs are added to automatically when you buy off the iTunes App.

Hope this helps...

 

[lpj8]

Hi,

I'm on the verge of buying a 16Gb iPod Touch (and update it to the latest firmware) but I have a few questions. Note that I'm in the UK and using this experience partly as a test to see if it would be feasible for me to move over to an iPhone in the future. This will be my first iPod of any kind and I use a Windows XP PC that has 'Outlook Express' (not 'Outlook').

1 - Will an iPod Touch/iPhone sync contacts with 'Outlook Express'?
2 - Will iTunes be able to copy over email settings from 'Outlook Express' to iPhone/Touch?
3 - Is it possible to copy a file over to iPhone/Touch such as a PDF or a text doc? I'm aware iTunes syncs contacts etc between a PC and device but I've not heard if/how other individual files are copied over.
4 - If I can copy a PDF or Text doc over, can I view it on a touch? What about RTF and 'Word' documents?
5 - I have several email accounts. Is it possible to choose which one(s) are updated during a session? i.e. only download new messages from selected accounts.
6 - Is it possible to add a song to a playlist as it's playing? i.e. not having to wait until it's connected to iTunes.

Thanks.

You can't copy PDFs or Docs directly, but I believe that you can email them to yourself and view them in the Mail app. Also, you can upload docs and spreadsheets to google docs and then view them on your Touch when connected to WiFi.

 

[andygrunt]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess '1' is the most important to me (for the future anyway) so it's good to hear it should be possible. Good tip about Google docs Ipj8.

Surprised to hear '6' isn't possible. It's the biggest aggrovation with my old 'Creative' MP3 players and I assumed the iPod would handle it with no problem (I must be the only person on Earth never to have seen an iPod in action). Odd, as it seems such an obvious and easy to do thing to me - oh well...

 

[Ubuntu]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess '1' is the most important to me (for the future anyway) so it's good to hear it should be possible. Good tip about Google docs Ipj8.

Surprised to hear '6' isn't possible. It's the biggest aggrovation with my old 'Creative' MP3 players and I assumed the iPod would handle it with no problem (I must be the only person on Earth never to have seen an iPod in action). Odd, as it seems such an obvious and easy to do thing to me - oh well...

Yeah, it is odd.

The only closest workaround I can think of is to make a new On-The-Go playlist and then select "Add". It should bring up the songs, so select "Playlists" from the bottom bar and then select the playlist you want to 'edit'. It'll add that playlist to the new one.

You can edit the new one as much as you like until you resync.

I apologise for the inconvenient workaround, but I guess it is better than nothing.

All the best.

 

[iTeen]

.
3. Nope, iPod Touch isn't able to be used as disk space (yet or unless you "jailbreak" it (risky))

Since when i jailbreaking a ipod touch risky?

 

[Ubuntu]

Since when i jailbreaking a ipod touch risky?

It is as risky as one can interpret. I don't think it can permanently destroy your iPod, but it can be a pain in the ass.

 

[andygrunt]

The only closest workaround I can think of is to make a new On-The-Go playlist and then select "Add". It should bring up the songs, so select "Playlists" from the bottom bar and then select the playlist you want to 'edit'. It'll add that playlist to the new one.

Not having used an iPod, I don't fully follow what an 'On the go' playlist is but it sounds like your method might do what I want - thanks.

By the way, I'm not planning to jailbreak it - I'll wait for the 2.0 firmware and all the lovely (free) 3rd party applications that should appear at that time.

The main one I'll need is a database and I'm sure someone will knock one up

 

[Ubuntu]

Not having used an iPod, I don't fully follow what an 'On the go' playlist is but it sounds like your method might do what I want - thanks.

By the way, I'm not planning to jailbreak it - I'll wait for the 2.0 firmware and all the lovely (free) 3rd party applications that should appear at that time.

The main one I'll need is a database and I'm sure someone will knock one up

Oh, my bad. The On-The-Go playlist is Apple's version of a playlist... on the go. Sadly, it's not as great as you'd hope. When you select "Playlists", you'll get your list of playlists (e.g. "Top 25", "Best songs" etc) and at the top you'll get "On-The-Go". Once you select it it will ask you to choose what songs/albums/playlists to add.

While you're on the go, the playlist will stay at the top, and you can add songs to it whenever you want, and use it like a real playlist, whenever you want.

When you next plug your iPod into your computer, the playlist gets saved as "On-The-Go 1", and so on. The On-The-Go playlist option at the top will now be blank again.

It could be simpler, but oh well.

 

[Applespider]

2 - Will iTunes be able to copy over email settings from 'Outlook Express' to iPhone/Touch?

I may be wrong but I don't think email settings copy over to the Touch. I think you need to go into the Mail application and set up the mail accounts as you want them to be. Bear in mind that this is easiest to do with an IMAP account so that you can keep your mail 'complete' each place you access it.

This has the advantage of meaning that you only set up the accounts that you want the Touch to check.

 

[andygrunt]

This has the advantage of meaning that you only set up the accounts that you want the Touch to check.

I'm not too bothered about having to setup my email manually but I'd want to be able to check different email accounts at different times. e.g. personal emails but not work emails when on holiday.

 

[andygrunt]

The On-The-Go playlist is Apple's version of a playlist... on the go.

Hhhm, doesn't sound like it will do what I want (certainly not very easily) but I look forward to playing around with it to see.

 

[Applespider]

I'd want to be able to check different email accounts at different times. e.g. personal emails but not work emails when on holiday.

You can do that. You can turn email accounts on and off from the Settings Panel - that enables them or not in the main Mail app.

 

[andygrunt]

You can turn email accounts on and off from the Settings Panel - that enables them or not in the main Mail app.

That's what I wanted to hear - thanks.

 

[millap]

If this is your first experience with an iPod, I would suggest that you visit an Apple store and get someone to give you a demo, or just have a play with one yourself. Also, there are a number of videos on the Apple website which are quite informative, and a ton of others on YouTube.

 

[andygrunt]

If this is your first experience with an iPod, I would suggest that you visit an Apple store and get someone to give you a demo, or just have a play with one yourself. Also, there are a number of videos on the Apple website which are quite informative, and a ton of others on YouTube.

I have checked a load of videos on the Apple site and YouTube but they never cover every little aspect that you want to see. I don't know anyone with an iPod and no Apple shops are anywhere I visit. I have had a few plays with an iPhone the last few times I've been passed a Carphone Warehouse though.

 

[millap]

I have checked a load of videos on the Apple site and YouTube but they never cover every little aspect that you want to see. I don't know anyone with an iPod and no Apple shops are anywhere I visit. I have had a few plays with an iPhone the last few times I've been passed a Carphone Warehouse though.

It's a shame you can't get your hands on one to play with. Maybe an O2 store is worth a try. Also, it might be worth downloading the new SDK that was announced a couple of days ago as it includes a simulator. I don't know if that includes all the Apps though.

Anyone ?

 

[andygrunt]

it might be worth downloading the new SDK that was announced a couple of days ago as it includes a simulator. I don't know if that includes all the Apps though.

I use a Windows PC so that's not an option (it's only for Macs). Also, judging by the video I saw of the announcement, the 'simulator' doesn't include all the apps anyway.

I don't really need to have a go with it to know I want one. There's just a few bits and pieces I wanted to know that probably needs expereinced users to answer anyway so my playing with one for a few minutes wouldn't help with the answer.