Ipod syncing in the age of DRM

October 25, 2005 12:51 PM

What is your preferred methodology for syncing your ipod between an imac and an ibook so that you don't get duplicate songs/podcasts on your ipod?

You can assume that I'm a clueless new owner. I have an imac at work and an ibook at home. I've used Setuni to move music off my ipod onto either machine, but it would be great to be able to sync everything automagically, like when you sync the data in a PDA. DRM is bad. Bonus question: how do I remove duplicate songs *on the ipod*. The dupes feature in itunes is greyed out when I am browsing the ipod. Many thanks.

posted by mecran01 to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

I don't think your iPod will recognize more than one machine for syncing purposes. If it does, I'd recommend setting your syncing on Manual through iSync and iTunes.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:00 PM on October 25, 2005

I set both my machines to NOT synch the iPod automatically for regular content (manual mode). I only auto synch my podcasts from one machine.
For deleting dupe content, try making a playlist of everything on your 'pod, drag it to your Mac, remove the dupes and then synch your iPod to that playlist.
Senuti rocks, make sure you pay the man, he deserves it.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:27 PM on October 25, 2005

Response by poster: For deleting dupe content, try making a playlist of everything on your 'pod, drag it to your Mac, remove the dupes and then synch your iPod to that playlist.

Awesome--how do I remove the original dupes from a playlist--I've been using a script "trash highlighted track" or something similar. Is there an easier way to trash the original file?
posted by mecran01 at 1:31 PM on October 25, 2005

In iTunes, there's a choose "show duplicate songs" in the Edit menu. Then you can delete them.
posted by ArsncHeart at 1:54 PM on October 25, 2005

I know it seems ridiculous, but the most nearly easy way I've found to delete multiple songs from your Library when looking at them in a playlist is to select them all, get info, change their genre to "delete me", then sort the Library by genre, select them again, and hit backspace.
posted by nicwolff at 1:54 PM on October 25, 2005

I know it seems ridiculous…

Yes, it does. Try hitting option-delete.
posted by designbot at 2:08 PM on October 25, 2005

Response by poster: I've created a playlist of my ipod contents, but I can't do anything with it--can't drag it to my itunes library, can't "save songlist" or do anything to it. Sorry for being so dense.
posted by mecran01 at 2:45 PM on October 25, 2005

You may find this helpful:

Apple Support: Using iPod with multiple computers
posted by designbot at 3:22 PM on October 25, 2005

Response by poster: In iTunes, there's a choose "show duplicate songs" in the Edit menu. Then you can delete them.

This functionality is disabled for the ipod itself, however, which is why I asked the question.
posted by mecran01 at 5:28 AM on October 26, 2005

Another ipod management scheme:

http://weblog.scifihifi.com/2005/09/07/better-ipod-management-through-journaling/
posted by craniac at 9:00 AM on October 26, 2005

Oh for crying out loud! Thanks, designbot.
posted by nicwolff at 7:30 PM on October 26, 2005