iTunes and iPod

Play-time is over and I'm back at work. Since Xmas Day I've learned a lot about my iPod Touch and iTunes and discovered once again why I like Open Source and Linux so much. It's the freedom. You can't beat it.

My iPod Touch is a beautiful thing. The style, the size, the Wifi. All very cool.

But then the marketing needs of the vendor kick in and they don't match mine. I can only bring anything onto the iPod via iTunes. That means I can't just copy MP3s from my Linux system. I have to go to a Windows system. The files have to be available on that system. If I use a Windows system other than the one my iPod knows, then I can't get the files OFF the iPod onto any other system. Once they go onto the iPod, that's it. No way back.

I'm glad I ripped all my music well away from iTunes and THEN imported it.

YouTube works provided Apple's YouTube to Quicktime server is available. Apple won't let flash run natively on iPod or iPhone because Flash apps could let users by-pass iTunes. For the streaming video content they do provide, Apple don't use http for that function (Googling indicates). Instead, they feed iPods and iPhones Quicktime content they translate from YouTube flash content. Whether that is true or not, I can't play YouTube video content when behind the proxy servers I find myself behind. I can see the list of vids, search on them - whatever - but can't play them. The same applies to Facebook, WeatherNZ and many other apps. The cached content is there, but I can't update it. Yes, Facebook works through Safari, but that mode doesn't support the additional functions of the iPod facebook application......and so on.

What really annoyed me was that I had some video of my own that I had made and imported into my iTunes library and put it on my iPod. I then wanted to copy it from the iPod to my other Windows PC's iTunes...and I couldn't. It's a one-way trip.

In short, Apple's need to control all content means I can't use my iPod the way I want to. Hmm. The bottom line there is that as soon as there is a comparable device available that IS open......then I'll be buying that and consigning the iPod Touch to the "crippled relic" category.

I still really like the thing. Having a micro-netbook - even crippled - with such great software isserious  goodness. But my affection for my iPod Touch is now very much qualified. The sort of affection that is now situational and not very loyal. I'm on the lookout for something that better meets my needs. 

I really just use the wifi and play the odd video or movie on the iPod. I have an mp3 player that lets me load whatever, from wherever, and have reverted to it several times simply because I find it easier to use in so far as I'm able to do what I need to do on the PC on front of me instead of the single "home" iTunes allows.