Using an iPhone with 2 Macs?

June 12, 2009 8:33 AM

One iPhone, two Macs?

I've always synced my iPhone to my iMac and haven't ever connected it to my newer MacBook Pro. Now I have a trip and I want to be able to download NPR news articles and listen to them on my iPhone. Is there a way to get those MP3s onto my iPhone from my MBP that's simpler than this?

posted by neuron to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

You can download podcasts over-the-air as long as you have a wi-fi connection.
posted by General Malaise at 8:51 AM on June 12, 2009

I use Chronosync to copy my iTunes library from computer A (where I manage the music, add or remove files, etc.) to computer B (where I only play music). And lately, from B to computer C as well. If I plug my iPod into any of the three computers, it sees the library as the one it is synced to, and just updates without any problems. Shouldn't be any different with an iPhone. You may need to authorize the computer before going anywhere - I think you can authorize up to three or so, for tracks you've purchased from ITMS - but in terms of syncing the phone, you should not have any problems.

I simply do a one-way sync, all changes in computer A mirrored to the Music folder on the other computers. In my case A is a Windows box, B and C are Macs. It works fine, and it isn't too big of a pain at all. No text editing required!
posted by caution live frogs at 11:18 AM on June 12, 2009

I believe that there is a mechanism built-in by Apple which allows iPods and iPhones to be synched with more than one machine. You may have to mirror your iTunes library from your iMac to your MacBook Pro first -- instinct is telling me that Apple will want everything to be "the same" across all your machines... But I might be wrong about that.

Barring that... Why not load the "must-have" content for your iPhone onto your MacBook Pro into iTunes there, and then designate that machine as your primary synch machine during your trip, and then re-designate it when the trip is done? That can't be too difficult...
posted by hippybear at 11:36 AM on June 12, 2009

I use my iphone with two computers by cloning the Library ID from one to the other. You need to synchronise the Library ID in two files, and then it just works whenever you plug the iphone in.

Both machines that I do this on are Windows, but these instructions include Mac directions too.
posted by mxc at 4:51 AM on June 13, 2009