[jessejlt]

There is a new ( our first ) Apple branded Apple Store opening here in Portland next weekend, and I was going to take advantage of that wonderful unadvertised 20% discount for grand-openings and special events to buy a new iPod. Before I buy though, I have a couple of questions that I cannot seem to answer after browsing iPod message boards and Apple's documentation:

1. 3G PC - Mac Sync
The 3G iPod's are no longer platform specific, but does that mean that the file-format is somehow unified? Can I use my iPod on my iMac, iBook, and Windows XP boxes alike?

2. Skip Protection & Buffers
Since the iPods are HDD based players, current technology would dictate that skipping is a fact of life; however, I read on Apple's website that the iPod has skip protection. I would assume that the protection is in the form of a cache or some other buffer mechanism. If so, than is that buffer constantly fed if using a playlist? For example, you start to play a playlist and the current song fils the buffer while the song plays, where the HDD would feed the buffer at a rate 8mb ahead of your current perceived listening position. If this is correct, than is it safe to assume that while listening to a playlist, once the HDD has fed the buffer to the end of the song, would it then continue feeding the buffer with the next song in queue as to allow further skip protection, or does the HDD simply stop feeding the buffer once the end of the song has been reached regardless of the play-method? I ask this because of the complaints I've heard about using the iPod for jogging. Having the iPod skip while jogging seems perfectly reasonable, but if the HDD were to feed the buffer 8mb ahead of the current play postition while listening to playlists, it seems reasonable to assume that once the cache has been filed, jogging with the thing while listening to a playlist would offer nearly absolute skip protection. What say you?

3. Initial Charging
I've always been confused on the correct procedure for an initial charging of such a battery. I ran into the same problem with my iBook. I opted to simply drain the battery completely as it came out of the box. Then I allowed it to charge completely, then discharge completely, and once that procedure was done I considered the battery properly acclimated. Is this procedure correct? If not, what is the correct charging sequence?

4. Transferring files from the iPod
I've read that transferring files from the iPod cannot be done w/o the aid of third-party applications; however, I also have caught glimpses here and there saying that the same can be done via some Terminal voodoo. I haven't been able to find the Terminal voodoo commands anywhere though. Is there such voodoo, and if so where can I find it?

5. Backlight Colors
I've read that the backlights on these things vary from blue to white to a purple-ish white. Is there a preferred model or is it simply user-choice?

I think that about wraps it up.
Thanks for your time!
jesse ;-)

[SupahCoolX]

1. iPods have a built-in anti-piracy system that only allows them to be synced with one computer. If you plug it into a different computer, you'll have the option of doing nothing, or erasing it.

2. The iPod has a 32MB cache. 32MB is loaded up, and the HD is shut down until needed again. I've found the anti-skip mechanism to be pretty good (though I don't really jog with my iPod).

3. Charge fully. Drain completely. Charge fully again. Then, use/charge however you want.

4. I don't know about the Terminal commands, but there are plenty of free utilities to do so.

5. You don't have a choice. IIRC, older ones are white, and newer models are bluish.

[michaelb]

Originally posted by SupahCoolX:
1. iPods have a built-in anti-piracy system that only allows them to be synced with one computer. If you plug it into a different computer, you'll have the option of doing nothing, or erasing it.

Misleading. It's more a synching convenience than "anti-piracy" and only true if the iPod's paired with a specific iTunes. If instead set to manually manage (click iPod options button in iTunes) you can add to it from any iTunes.

I often load my iPod from 2 or 3 different Macs. (Mac formatted iPod.) This is standard Apple intended stuff and you can also use it as a hard drive without terminal voodoo.

If you want to get music back off the iPod, iPodRip (shareware) lets you "unload" music back into iTunes. There is no serious anti-piracy going on.

As for Windows compatibility, if formatted as a Windows iPod you're technically able to connect it to BOTH Windows and Mac iTunes (because Mac OS X can read Fat32), but there are mixed reports, and all the good software (eg, Apple's iSync) probably wants it Mac formatted anyway.

[SupahCoolX]

Thanks for the clarification. The default behavior is to only allow one computer to sync, but I guess that can be changed.