Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

That's even more restrictive than I could have imagined... You sure there is no way to "scan" the iPod for media and download files into PC, without syncing it first opposite way?

The reason I'm asking... let's assume this situation that your computer HD crashes, gets stolen, or similar that you lose your iTunes database. Then you might have thought that the iPod is nice backup device, but if you can not restore your files from there to PC... wouldn't that suck?

I'm almost positive there must be a way to sync the iTunes database based on the contents of the iPod... No? :confused:

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

There might be a way to put the iPod in HDD mode (well I dunno without rockboxing it).

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

They can intend all they like, but it just isn't there-- yet.

The tablets have their shortcomings, but so do the iPhones, if we're going to be completely objective.

The IT is not a phone.

The iPhone is not a true internet tablet.

yet.

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

I think you can restore your collection to the pc. But the point here is that you cannot get add a bunch of songs from your friends pc into your ipod collection. You either have your collection or his!!
I mean the moment you connect an ipod to the pc.... it says do you want to sync the ipod with the computer and if you agree to do so you will lose your collection on the ipod and get your friends only.

P.s I have only tried to add songs to my friends ipod only once and the moment i got the above message i really got pissed. So never tried. but i am sure there maybe a third party option?

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

ok, here is a correction then. I connect my iPod with 3 computers, and copy the tracks off them as an when I want - the computers have different tracks on them.
You are right in the sense that the iPod can only sync with one computer, but that itself is obvious, that unless you sync all those computers with each other you cant sync an iPod with them.
However, the bit I suspect you are missing is that you don't have to sync an iPod at all.

I just plug it in and drag files to it. I don't want mine to sync as I don't want the same tracks as any of the computers.


They don't, which is maybe why.

I don't understand why anyone would put effort into hating a company unless they had done anything to them specifically but I guess that is what free choice is for!

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

Just to clear up some misinformation.

You can use many free utilities to copy your music on and off of the iPod. Floola is a particularly good one for windows, Senuti is a mac os x one, and Amarok on linux.

Some prefer drag and drop, some prefer syncing. The choices are definitely there... even iTunes lets you choose between "Manually Manage your iPod" or Syncing.

If your iPod is set to sync with your computer, it will ask upon plugging into someone elses computer to erase the contents and sync with the new library. But if you set it to Manually Manage, it will just show up in the iTunes source list (or 3rd party app) and will let you drag and drop whatever you want.

I myself am fond of the syncing, as my iTunes automatically downloads new podcasts and tv shows. Once I pop my iPhone in the dock it can remove shows I've watched to make room for the new stuff, its awesomely convenient.



And whats with "Hating Steve Jobs and Apple"... lol. Thats as absurd as me hating on Ari Jaaksi for not giving me PowerVR support and having no PIM suites. Come on, be reasonable.

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

I'm still confused as to why we are still discussing this. Like it has been said a bunch of times, "to each his own".

For most people who by a device, they want it to just work. They don't want it to be a part time job to get it to work the way they want it to. I know that some people get a kick out of that but most people don't (and that can be seen by just looking at sales numbers between the two types of devices).

The iTunes model is the best if a person wants a program that allows for easy organization of their media library with the added bonuses of a media store and syncing capabilities.

The restrictive nature of the devices are due to media rights and copyright laws that exist to protect artists and record labels. I'm sure if you were trying to make a living selling your music album, you wouldn't be happy with one person buying it and spreading it easily to all of their friends and family. (but that's a whole other discussion)

Bottom line, to get my n800 to do what I wanted it to do, it took at least 60 hours.

To get my ipod to do what I wanted to do, 2 minutes.

One of my friends was joking around with me and said, "If you want a new part time job, get an n800, if you want something that works so you can focus on other things, get an iphone."

Initially, I disagreed but upon reevaluation, there is some truth in his jest.


Also, Apple does something great that Nokia doesn't. When they sell you their product, they sell you their service as well. If I have any problems with my ipod, I can just make an appointment to receive tech support at my local Apple store. If my device is under warranty, they fix it, parts and labor covered. No shipping costs, no headaches. If the device is completely out of whack, they replace it on the spot. I mean come on, you can't argue that that is not amazing.

Also with the advent of their One to One training programs where customers can come in and get one on one training with creatives in store, Apple has really reinvented what it means to sell a product to a consumer.

Forget about AppleCare...the fact that you can buy a computer and extend the protection for three years and have a local spot to take it to is wild.

We can bash them all we want. They are definitely doing things the right way.

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

Actually, I am not thinking about the interface at all. My point about being able to simply drag and drop the media is regarding how a platform like Maemo makes those files completely transparent; I don't really have to concern myself with what kind of audio they are, since they will probably work. I can thus export them from any app under the sun (drag and drop being a really nice way to do it, for an inter-process communication fan like myself) and expect them to work.

With an iPod, on the other hand, you don't just happen to use a manager app; you are stuck with that manager app! Yes, you can still do things in mass storage mode, but getting files to play when transfering them like that is another story, since they have to be just the right format. Inter-process communication is all about interoperability, where applications can easily integrate with each other on the idea that they share a common ground for how they work: files. With drag and drop simply carrying URIs as information, we can end up with an incredibly rich and flexible environment built simply on that simple concept, where if somebody wants something somewhere else he need only drag it there. (Unfortunately, while DnD is one of the most powerful, easy to implement and useful integration technologies we have, it requires a very strict and demanding movement, giving it a bad name and making it unfavourable for a lot of people -- particularly those with lower mouse sensitivity. We need drag and drop without the drag!).

The success of that system assumes that they all use the same system to access the media (gstreamer, for example), so that things actually work reliably when received. Otherwise, dropped media would often not be picked up, which would not be very nice!
When it does work, the advantage to DnD is that the weird concepts of actual files and their formats are made very transparent to the "end users", allowing people to use specialized managers as opposed to generic file managers wherever they please. Integration's cousin is choice, which is being able to drop in any software solution wherever one pleases without losing functionality. I, for one, like using my file manager for programming projects but I prefer F-Spot for photos and I would rather not think about how F-Spot makes a mess of my file hierarchy. Since both systems implement drag and drop very predictably, I can do that and easily switch between the two with ease.

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

i didn't read this whole thread, so someone may have mentioned this already. i read in another thread that the iphone/touch can run only on app at a time. is this true? i always have skype running in the background, as my main phone. i also switch between my email, rss reader, and browser.

Re: iPhone and iPod Touch SDK is amazing... Wow.
 

OK, time for my $0.02.

Actually, I don't have so much to say as I have a couple of questions to ask:

1) What languages does the SDK support? Last I checked, most Mac dev was done in Objective C, which is decidedly NOT C++. Are there really that many people willing to write Objective C, or are there some language options I missed?

2) Is it really true that the Touch can't multitask? Several people have told me that apps shut down when you switch away and start from scratch when you switch back. That sounds like Palm OS. (Speaking of which, why is everyone excited about Exchange syncing? Again, a Palm OS device can do that.)

3) Why are all these obviously clueless n00bs going ga-ga over an SDK? They aren't going to be writing apps! Isn't this just the Jobs RDF/Apple hype machine going into hyperdrive?

I'm somewhat impressed that Apple will allow devs to make apps available via iTunes. Other than that, I really just don't care. I've got a Mac, and I use iTunes, but my N800 can work with them or independently. I can do so many things on the tablet w/o my main computers. Why would I want to tie myself to my desktop again?

(The Nseries Tablets do need some interface work though.)