Somehow I missed iPodDisk. This unbelievably useful app was released back in November and will most likely replace Senuti in my iPod toolbox. iPodDisk mounts your iPod right on your Desktop as a read-only shared volume not unlike an iDisk. This volume contains two folders “Artists” and “Playlists” which correspond to the Artists and Playlists on your iPod. Now you’re free to do whatever you want with the mp3/mp4 files inside those folders (except remove them, it’s read-only remember?). This would be tremendously helpful if you lost your iTunes library and the only back of your music was on your iPod.
I now keep dmg installers of both Senuti and iPodDisk on my iPod [which is set to ‘Enable disk use’ in iTunes Prefs] for those occasions when I need to get at the actual mp3 files on my ‘Pod.
I should mention that in March I broke down and purchased an iPod Photo (30GB). I’ve been very pleased with it so far. I believe that the newer generation iPods (including the Shuffle) seem to sound better than the earlier ones. I think hear less distortion in the low end. I’m still using the 512MB shuffle for nights out when I don’t want to carry the full size ‘Pod with me and while snowboarding. I do like having my Photos with me, one feature that helps is that I can sync Music to the iPod from one Mac (my G4 Desktop) and Photos to the iPod from another (an iBook). iTunes 4.8 even allows to to turn off warnings that you would normally get when plugging your iPod into another machine. I’ll definitely pick up the iPod Camera Connector before my next vacation.
My old 10GB scroll wheel iPod died over the holiday season and I needed something to replace it. I was borrowing one for a while, but I wanted to get something of my own. So I bought an iPod Shuffle. I dropped $99 on the 512MB model, the price was just right.
Well, I am mostly taking back what I said about the iPod shuffle. Here’s what the iPod shuffle does. For $99 you get a handy 512MB USB 2.0 pocket drive that happens to play MP3s, MP4s (including protected ITMS MP4s), WAVs and Audible files. It also comes with a set of headphones and a lanyard. It’s also tiny, ideal for physical activity.
Do I miss the screen and the scroll wheel? Yes. Do I miss having almost anything I could want to listen to available at a moments notice? Yes. But, it does a nice job a playing MP3 files in a small profile which is kinda what I was looking for. It’s great for not taking up a lot of room when you go out, just a small space in your pocket. It’s great on the slopes (keeping the volume down so I can hear other boarders of course).
My biggest gripe with the shuffle is even if you keep it in manual (non-Autofill) mode, it still ties itself to one machine. I’d like to be able to drag tunes off my home machine before I go to work the fill it with different tunes from my work machine when I leave at the end of the day.
Ideally I’d get a 30GB iPod Photo or an iPod mini (6GB) when funds are a little more flowing. I do like the size of the mini and they have the best feeling click wheel.
There’s a nice iPod Shuffle article at MacDevCenter. It pretty much covers all of the details of the unit.
The iPod Shuffle is not an iPod.
Published on
10/3/2004 in
iPod.
goPod
From the read me: goPod is a command line program that allows you to remove the EU Volume limitation on EU iPod’s.
‘nuff said
The iPod Engraving Utility allows you to see what any particular phrase might look like engraved on the back of your favorite iPod. Be sure to check out the Top Ten best and worst. [via iPoding]
iTunes 4 Smart Playlist Solution (kind of) - Updated: 4/13/04; 9:50:36 PM.
In iTunes 4, Apple has made the change I mentioned in a previous [story][1]. As you can see in the screenshot below, there is now a checkbox in the Smart Playlist Dialog for matching only checked songs.
Continue reading ‘iTunes 4 Smart Playlist Solution (kind of)’