One iPod multiple iTunes - can't play tracks stored on iPod on second computer
 

Setup:

1 iPod
2 iTunes; main iTunes at home computer (10.4.5), another iTunes at work computer (10.3.9). Home iTunes syncs selected playlists (about 10) to the iPod.

Problem:
When I arrive at the office I want to connect my iPod to my computer and play the contents of my iPod through its speakers, charge the iPod etc.
After connecting the iPod it appears as expected in iTunes. I can also expand the iPod and see all the playlists on it; however all songs are grey and the play button is disabled.

I can workaround this by changing the iPod from automatic to manual update - this enables the playbutton - but then I have to change it back when I get home. Really annoying.

Is this really how it is supposed to work? In my understanding Apple didn't want it to be easy to copy stuff of off your iPod but you should be able to bring your iPod to your friends house, hook it up there, play a few songs to him/her.

Multiple iPods can be owned by one iTunes, but multiple iTunes cannot own one iPod unless they are completely in sync and you do some fancy file editing.

So, you are stuck with the manual mode. Mine is set to auto and I can't play anything from the iPod directly either.

You could always use an audio cable to connect to your work computer, or get that very nice Bose dock.

Weird:-(

What is the point with this arrangement? I am gonna file a bug report about this.

I don't believe this is a bug. Apple has never allowed you to sync an iPod on more than one computer. Why? Becuase if you could you would then be able to copy the files off your iPod and share your songs with other people. They don't want you to be able to do this.

More than one person has lost their entire collection of iTunes song when they tried to sync with thier computer which had to have the OS reinstalled. The iPod saw the computer was emtpy of songs and synced to 0 songs. Everything lost.

While not syncing programs, these will allow you to copy the songs off your iPod back to you computer.

iPodRip
http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/a...hp?app=iPodRip

SENUTI (get it....itunes spelt backwards)
http://wbyoung.ambitiouslemon.com/senuti/

Possibe workaround?

Copy your iTunes Library from the home computer to the work computer.


Anyway, at the very least you can use one of the many apps on versiontracker.com to grab your songs from the iPod to your work computer.

I don't want/need to sync my iPod to my office machine. I just want to connect my iPod to it and then play the music on it. That is it. And the fact that you can play tracks of it when you set it to manual indicates to me that this is, and rightfully so, a usecase Apple accepts.

But then I lose track of playcounts, last played date etc. Besides, it doesn feel right to fill my office machine with 20 GB of music. No one would probably complain but one shouldn't use one's employers equipment for to much private stuff.

I assume you want to play your iPod at work through the computer there to use the speakers and not the iPod's headset.
Why not get external speakers for the iPod or dockstation with speakers?
That way you play from the iPod, keeping track of play count and all that stuff and haven't copied anything to your work computer.

There are a lot of workaround solutions, and the least annoying is to change the iPod to/from manual/automatic when I move but I my question was if there was an easy solution.

E.g., I already have speakers for my office computer, it doesn't make sense to buy another pair of speakers for my iPod then, does it?

Won't those speakers plug directly into the iPod?

No. But it does make sense to unplug your office speakers from the computer and plug them into the iPod.

Chris

I don't think there could be an easier solution than changing from automatic update to manual. That is pretty easy.

No, they are Apple Pro speakers.

Anyway, I filed a bug report (or, more of a RFE) to Apple about this and they responded within a few hours asking me about iPod model and firmware version - a response that at least I interpret as that they think this behaviour is less than ideal.

If you agree with me, please let Apple know.

But then I lose (or have to plug back and forward) the sound from my computer. Why is everyone defending a stupid design decision? Just because it is Apple?

An automatic solution would be easier.

I am a staunch Apple user, love it to bits, but iPod fails in so many ways, it seems the sexy ipod just lacks in terms of function often, as in - why cant i buy an ipod with built-in features, instead of buying itrip, a mic, a dock etc... argh

That is a common complaint with Apple products; one in which I don't share. I don't like products that cram a bunch of features into an item to make it more marketable. It usually doesn't integrate well, it's oversized and many of the features are often left unused (and sometimes unknown). I perfer well-built, well-designed items that excel at what they are desgined to do.

I've read complaint that the MBP doesn't have a FW800 port or a modem. I think this is a great move and surely the others will follow. Honestly, how many of us use those two features? I don't, but if I did, there is a USB modem available and an ExpressCard34 FW800 card.

Here is what I think about the features you mentioned (pure speculation):

iTrip: The quality is poor and there are car stereos with aux. ports, iPod ready car stereos, as well as, 40% of the automative industry supplying such a feature from the factory. An FM transmitter is a backward move.

A microphone would be handy, I admit, as I tend to have an ardor for taking notes. Though, I'm not sure I'd give up my little notebook. Am I correct in thinking you can't continue to listen to audio while recording a message? If you could, then I probably would switch, especially if it interpreted my words and printed them out as a text. One can dream!

A built in dock sounds odd to me. I can't really picture it without some flipping device that could break or just get in the way.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I perfer the simplisty and ease of use. MS's Origami is coming soon. It will certainly have a excessive amount of features. All of them integrated quite poorly, of course. :-)

I think this person was suggesting that you simply copy the single iTunes Library db file between computers, not copy your entire collection of music files.

you all have spoken about copying files from the ipod to the itunes. I have an ipod that is syncd with the home imac. I have a few songs on my work mac and want to plug the ipod in to it and move a song from the work mac to my ipod. Can this be done? If so, how?
thanks,
M

If the iPod is formatted as FAT32 for Windows you can enable disk mode and then copy the song to the iPod.

If it isn't, then you will need to reformat it as such and then do as described above.

When everything is DRM free do you think Apple will then change how iTunes works?

1 ipod - iMacs
 

I'm on a mac so unless the name is throwing me, it is not formatted for windows. I was told by someone else, I need to make sure the ipod is set to manual and not automatic sync. Where do I do that? When I plug it in, it just asks me if I want to sync and I say no.. but then all the songs are grayed out. How do I tell it to hook up with a manual connection

(If the iPod is formatted as FAT32 for Windows you can enable disk mode and then copy the song to the iPod.

If it isn't, then you will need to reformat it as such and then do as described above.)