Use an iPod as a USB drive ?

[Alex Tweedly]

Marian Petrides wrote:

> I'm not sure why this surprises either of you.  Items copied to one's  
> HD but not loaded into iTunes won't play in iTunes.  

That may be a Mac restriction (though I doubt it), but it doesn't apply 
on Win. I double click on any MP3 (or other audio) file and iTunes plays 
it (maybe there's a hair to be split - maybe iTunes "loads" it into 
iTunes on the fly, but in terms of the effect for me as a user, this 
restriction doesn't appear to apply).

> Likewise items  copied to the iPod's HD as data won't play on the 
> iPod. To play on  the iPod they need to be loaded onto it from iTunes 
> on your computer-- which then allows the iPod's software to recognize 
> them as music  rather than data.
>
I guess I can't see why iPod's software can't figure out that an MP3 
file can be played, just like any other piece of software can.

> >>>you can copy files to an iPod being used as an external disk, but  
> can't then play them as tunes.
>
> All you need to do in this case is to ALSO load them onto the iPod  
> using iTunes--so that the iPod's software recognizes them as music  
> not a data file.
>
All I need to do is make two copies of it, taking twice as much time and 
space. Yeah, OK, but that's exactly what I find disappointing.
And I can't see any reason for that restriction other than DRM, and 
putting the DRM requirements before the user's convenience.

But I can't think of a way to drag this back on topic for the Rev list, 
so I'll stop now. Thank you again for taking the time to go look this up 
and let me know. Even though I'm mildly irritated by this misfeature, I 
am glad to know the iPod is a practical solution, and can go buy one for 
myself as well as the "client" for whom I need to put Rev stacks on an iPod.


-- 
Alex Tweedly       http://www.tweedly.net



-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.5/335 - Release Date: 09/05/2006