[Psibek]

I am buying my sons two Nanos for Xmas. THey have one PC.

How can I use both iPods on one PC????

[icruise]

You can use as many iPods on one PC as you want.

[ghporter]

If you're wanting them to have their own individual copies of iTunes to individualize the contents of their iPods, I'd have to know more about their computer. What kind of PC is it, and more importantly, what OS is it running? Windows XP supports individual user profiles that are completely independent of each other, which would allow separate iTunes libraries, and thus separate music collections for separate iPods.

[analogika]

If both are okay with using a single iTunes library: The setting for each iPod (whether to auto-sync individual playlists or the entire library, or to manually sync stuff, etc.) are stored on the iPod itself.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by ghporter

If you're wanting them to have their own individual copies of iTunes to individualize the contents of their iPods, I'd have to know more about their computer. What kind of PC is it, and more importantly, what OS is it running? Windows XP supports individual user profiles that are completely independent of each other, which would allow separate iTunes libraries, and thus separate music collections for separate iPods.

There's really no need for that. They can both use the same iTunes library and still have completely different iPod contents if they so desire.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by Icruise

There's really no need for that. They can both use the same iTunes library and still have completely different iPod contents if they so desire.

I think the issue is that if they have the same iTunes library, then they have to manually sync their iPods. If they have different libraries, then they can theoretically each auto-sync to their own library.

But I think manual syncing will be the way to go. First of all, I'm sure people do it, but I haven't seen a single WIndows computer in a non-corporate environment that has different logins for different users. If nothing else, some games might still not work properly if played by the user who didn't install it, and that might cause problems for Psibek's kids.

Secondly, what happens if one iPod is plugged in while the other person is logged in? Is Windows smart enough to think "I need to auto-sync to a different users' library"? In all likelihood, it will auto-sync to the logged in users library, with potentially disasterous consequences if they like different music?

My answer to Psibek: there is no problem using two iPods with one PC, the PC is smart enough to realize the two iPods are different. The only question is how the songs will be loaded. By default, the iPod will load as many of the songs from iTunes onto the iPod as it can. Assuming that your kids musical tastes are different, at least one will probably want to change the setting so that they pick which songs they load onto the iPod. I think they can change this when they first plug the iPod in.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Dork.

I think the issue is that if they have the same iTunes library, then they have to manually sync their iPods.

NO THEY DON'T.

The information on which playlists are AUTOMATICALLY synced is stored ON THE IPOD, NOT in iTunes.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by analogika

NO THEY DON'T.

The information on which playlists are AUTOMATICALLY synced is stored ON THE IPOD, NOT in iTunes.

Right, I have 3 iPods all using the same iTunes library. Because my library is bigger than any of their capacities, I have them sync to only certain playlists. Manual syncing is another option, but it's not required.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that there is absolutely no difference between having 1 iPod and having 100. As is often the case, you're making this more difficult than it is.

[subego]

Originally Posted by analogika

NO THEY DON'T.

The information on which playlists are AUTOMATICALLY synced is stored ON THE IPOD, NOT in iTunes.

Or to put it another way, you can choose either "sync everything automatically", "sync just these playlists automatically", or "manual sync".

Or is that "SYNC EVERYTHING AUTOMAT...

Oh never mind.

[ghporter]

My point was just that, as far as the user (and his programs) is concerned, separate user profiles on an XP computer look just like separate computers, so the syncing issue is moot-with separate profiles, they could manage their libraries and sync automatically as if they had completely different computers.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by Icruise

Right, I have 3 iPods all using the same iTunes library. Because my library is bigger than any of their capacities, I have them sync to only certain playlists. Manual syncing is another option, but it's not required.

But the default behavior is still to sync everything, and you have to change that default to sync certain playlists, right? I'll admit that I sync my iPod manually all the time, and rarely use playlists, prefering to play entire albums straight through by artist, so my knowledge about syncing playlists is small. I assume that iTunes is smart enough to say, "You have 10 GB of Music and a 4 GB Nano. Which playlists would you like to sync?" when you first plug the Nano in, then?

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Dork.

But the default behavior is still to sync everything, and you have to change that default to sync certain playlists, right? I'll admit that I sync my iPod manually all the time, and rarely use playlists, prefering to play entire albums straight through by artist, so my knowledge about syncing playlists is small. I assume that iTunes is smart enough to say, "You have 10 GB of Music and a 4 GB Nano. Which playlists would you like to sync?" when you first plug the Nano in, then?

It will copy as much over as will fit and alert you if not all will.

You can change the sync settings for each iPod at any time after that.