[Web4lib] Public Computers and iTunes

Sun Apr 22 18:38:49 EDT 2007

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. My opinion of iTunes and
iPods and multiple computers is very much the same as yours. Is there
any you chance you could share the podcasts or other documentation that
you give your help staff for patrons? 

Jane Frasier
Software Support Specialist
Jefferson County (CO) Public Library

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of NORMA JEAN HEWLETT
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 5:21 PM
To: Web4Lib
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Public Computers and iTunes

> You [can] use your iPod with any number of computers if you use the 
> "manual" mode.

I have an iPod Nano (6 gigs) that I use with my desktop and laptop
computers, and sometimes with the other computers in my library. In my
opinion, using your iPod with more than one computer is a fairly
complicated process. 

So far as I know, you must first designate a computer as "authorised" 
in order to use iTunes on it with your iPod. You are limited to having
no more than 4 computers "authorised" at any time, even in manual mode. 

I can transfer data from my iPod to the iTunes library on any computer,
but only items that I've purchased from iTunes. Anything else (Audible
books I purchased from audible.com, CDs that I loaded myself) doesn't
transfer. 

iTunes has a fairly definite learning curve, especially if you're using
it with more than one computer. What I didn't realize at first is that
iTunes does not maintain an online library for you, the way Audible does
when you purchase their recorded books. When you purchase music online
from the iTunes Store, you are actually purchasing the right to download
the music one time into the iTunes library on that computer's hard
drive.  From there, you are allowed to download it to your iPod (or
iPods) and burn it to CD. So far as I know, there's no limit on how many
times you can sych your iPod to your computer's iTunes library, upload a
commercial CD into your library, burn music from your iTunes library to
a CD, upload it from that CD to another computer. The limits are on
uploading what's on your iPod to any other device or computer and on
using other devices with your iTunes library. There are ways to work
around those limits, but it takes a fair amount (sometimes a lot) of
familiarity with iTunes.  

If you connect your iPod to a strange computer, iTunes will normally put
up a dialog box asking if you want to erase all the current contents and
sync them to that computer's iTunes library. If you aren't paying
attention and click Okay, it will do exactly that. That isn't a total
tragedy, because you can always go home, connect your iPod to your home
computer, and then iTunes will erase it and sync it to your iTunes
library again. 

If you click Cancel, it will not erase and sync, but it will leave your
iPod connected until you eject it or close iTunes. I do this sometimes
to charge my iPod's battery, and that seems like a legitimate reason for
doing it at a library computer. I think you can still do this even if
iTunes isn't on the computer, as long as you have the right usb
connector cable for your iPod. 

Another valid reason would be to use the iPod as a usb storage device,
but you need to know what you are doing in order to do this. It's
possible to buy music from the iTunes Store and add it to all your
iTunes libraries, but again you need to know a bit about how iTunes
works to do this.

When I got a new laptop, I had one of the guys on our local Apple
store's genuis desk show me how to use  my iPod as a flash drive to back
up my old laptop's iTunes libray. He was able to back up everything,
including the Audible audiobooks and songs from my CDs, and transfer it
to the new laptop. It wasn't a simple process, nor a quick one. (That
was at least partly because I'd tried myself and fouled things up pretty
badly before coming to him.)

Having said all that, I should also point out that I'm still an iPod
novice and maybe there's an easier way that I don't know. My university
includes iTunes as part of the standard software image on all the campus
public-use computers, including those in our libraries. 
Our help desk staff use it regularly, and they are trained to answer
basic questions about its use. My boss has produced two podcasts about
using specific library resources that are available free from iTunes.

Jean Hewlett
Regional Librarian, University of San Francisco, North Bay Campus

----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Hankinson <andrew.hankinson at gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, April 21, 2007 12:29 pm
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Public Computers and iTunes[Scanned]
To: Web4Lib <web4lib at webjunction.org>

> 
> On 21-Apr-07, at 2:59 PM, Darryl Friesen wrote:
> 
> > Excellent post by Andrew Hankinson.  One clarification though
> >
> >> The iPod purposely encumbers audio transferring because Apple 
> >> doesn't want the labels to come down on them for selling a
> device
> >> that people  can use to share music.  That's why you can only
> sync
> >> your iPod to  one computer.
> >
> > You use your iPod with any number of computers if you use the 
> > "manual" mode. See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?
> > artnum=61675 for details. Basically, it enabled the iPod for use
> as
> > standard USB device and turns off the auto sync feature.  It
> means
> > you need to manage what music goes on the iPod by hand
> (something I
> > like any way).  I use my iPod with both my home and work
> computers
> > almost daily.
> 
> There's a difference between the way iTunes 6 and iTunes 7 handles
> 
> transferring, and I wasn't aware of that - mea culpa.  iTunes < 6 will

> only allow one way transfers (i.e. from the computer to the
> iPod) for one computer only.  I don't have a 'big' iPod to test the 
> way iTunes 7 works, but it seems that you can now attach it to any
> 
> computer and just copy the files from said any computer to the 
> iPod?   
> Can you go the other way? (i.e. from iPod back to your home
> computer?) Is that correct?  Do the record labels know about this?
> 
> Also note the "important" note at the bottom of that Knowledgebase
> 
> article:
> 
> Important: Synchronization generally occurs only in one direction,
> 
> from your computer to your iPod. However, if you are legally allowed 
> to transfer song files, you can use your iPod as a hard disk. An 
> exception is the transfer purchases feature, which allows you to 
> restore purchased iTunes content to an authorized computer from your 
> iPod.
> 
> Note: iPod shuffle is intended for use with a single computer. You
> 
> cannot load music from multiple computers or iTunes libraries onto
> 
> iPod shuffle like you can with other iPods.
> >
> > Sharon Foster said:
> >
> >> We've had one or two patrons who were dismayed to see that
synching
> >> their iPod with the public Mac had the effect of wiping out
> anything>> they had loaded the iPod with from another computer.
> >
> > That's what happens when the iPod is NOT in manual mode.  
> Enabling
> > it -- it is NOT the default mode -- will solve the problem.
> 
> AFAIK, they will also be warned by iTunes that their iPod would be
> 
> wiped, and are given the option to cancel it.  If they still click
> 
> OK, then that's their fault.
> 
> >
> > One other important bit of info to keep in mind is that Windows 
> > formatted iPods CANNOT be used on Macs, and vice versa.  This, 
> > coupled with the above problem of wiping iPods not in manual
> mode
> > makes supporting iPods on public machines extremely unattractive
> 
> > (in my opinion).
> 
> I don't think this is the case anymore.  The reason this happened 
> previously is that 'Mac' iPods were formatted HFS+, and 'PC' iPods
> 
> were formatted FAT32.  Starting with 4G iPods, all iPods come 
> formatted for Windows. (A Mac can read FAT32, but Windows can't read
> HFS+)
> 
> >
> > Plus, I don't see the point.  I can't see students making iTunes
> 
> > purchases from public machines.  And I don't think iTunes has
> that
> > much useful free content that the student couldn't possibly wait
> 
> > until they were at home to sync.  Ripping Library CDs seems like
> a
> > violation of copyright.  Using the iPod as a USB storage device
> is
> > about the only thing I can think of that might be of use, but
> the
> > hassles with format and synchronization mode don't seem to make
> it
> > worthwhile.  Or am I missing some compelling argument?
> 
> What's violation of copyright to one person is academic freedom / fair

> use to another. ;)  Also, there isn't really that much hassle
> 
> with the HD mode at all: Rip the CDs into iTunes, drag and drop them 
> from iTunes onto your iPod HD.  When you get home, do the
> opposite:  
> iPod HD -> iTunes.  Works a charm on my shuffle.
> 
> 
> >
> >
> > - Darryl
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >   Darryl Friesen, B.Sc., Programmer/Analyst    
> Darryl.Friesen at usask.ca>  Information Technology Services 
> Division,     http://gollum.usask.ca/
> >  University of Saskatchewan Library
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >   "Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no
> and yes"
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
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