iLounge iPad 2 Buyers' Guide

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Ask iLounge 7-27-06

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By Jerrod H.

Contributing Editor, iLounge
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2006
Category: Ask iLounge

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-, iPhone-, iPad-, iTunes-, or Apple TV-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy content from my iPod/iPhone onto my computer?

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Win)

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Find more answers in the latest publications in our Library. Free downloads developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

Q:

I just recently noticed an odd icon next to one of my smart playlists, and I can’t figure out what it is. It’s a small exclamation point with a circle around it. Have you seen this? How can I fix it?

- Jacqueline

A:

It cost us considerable experimenting to reproduce your problem, but we’ve found it:

This icon, shown above, is formed when a playlist upon which a smart playlist is based has been deleted. Your smart playlist has the “Playlist is” or “Playlist is not” condition, and you’ve deleted the playlist in question. Restore it, or recreate the smart playlist.

Q:

Is there a way to arrange my library in iTunes so that the “Artist” column is the first on the left? It seems no matter what I try, the “Name” column is always the first on the left.

- Josh

A:

Unfortunately, there is no way to do this, but here are a few suggestions:

First, you can navigate your library by Artist first if you simply use iTunes’ “Browse” feature, accessible via the icon in the Library’s top-right corner. By default, the first column here is “Genre,” but you can remove this by deselecting the following option in iTunes’ preferences:

Second (and although you’re likely interested in a live, interactive listing), you can always export your library data to Microsoft Excel and view the columns however you wish. To do so, simply choose “Select All” and then “Copy” from iTunes’ “Edit” menu, and then choose “Paste” in Microsoft Excel. This is discussed further in this Ask iLounge column.

Q:

Here’s a simple question, but an important one for me, that I haven’t seen explicitly answered anywhere yet:

When I put a song in more than one playlist, does it take up another copy’s worth of hard drive space? I had a primitive MP3 player before my iPod, and it did.

- Ed

A:

Absolutely not. For the iPod (and, of course, iTunes), playlists are simply collections of shortcuts to songs which exist in only one place - the Library. This makes playlists an entirely “free” and fun way to expand and enhance your listening habits. For more information on playlist management and ideas, see our tutorials on manual and smart playlists.

Q:

I own a 60GB iPod video. I would like to play a slideshow with music, but when I go to “Slideshow Settings,” under the “Music” menu, all that’s available is “Off”, and I can’t seem to turn it on. Why’s that?

- Gary

A:

The background music option in “Slideshow Settings” is formed solely by the “Off” option, and a list of your playlists. Since you probably don’t have any playlists on your iPod, you’re not able to use this feature, since there’s nothing for you to select. Create playlists in iTunes and synchronize your iPod, and this option will become available.

If you do have playlists on your iPod, then something odd is going on with your iPod’s database - “restore” your iPod using the latest iPod Software Updater from Apple’s website, and try again.

Q:

The iTunes page displays a number in the first data display column for each song in my playlists, but NOT when looking at my library folder.

How can I get iTunes to display a number in this column next to each song in my library?

- Tom

A:

You can’t display numbering in the Library, or at least not the way you want to. The easiest workaround is to create a smart playlist which automatically contains all the items in your library. One way to accomplish this is with the following rule:

Now, you’ll have a playlist version of your library, which - when displayed - has the single distinction from the real library that each song is numbered.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

2-3-12: Deleting pictures from Photo Stream, Transferring Apps to a new iTunes library, Apple Universal Dock and iPhone 4S, Getting Track Names after CD Import, Video Playlists on the iPad

11-25-11: Removing music after activating iTunes Match, Smart Playlists and iTunes Match, Backing up data from an iPhone, Syncing MP3s to an iPod nano, Migrating Playlists to a new Computer

11-11-11: Configure Apple IDs on family iOS devices, Recovering lost audiobooks, Unable to disable passcode lock on iOS devices, Buying an iPod for audio-only use, Preventing deleted tracks from coming back from an iOS device

11-4-11: iPhone 4S storage capacity doesn't match, Transferring HD video from iPhone 4S to a computer, Recovering photos from iPod touch, Notification Center and iMessage in iOS 5

10-21-11: Using iCloud's Find My iPhone on older devices, Batch deleting photos in Camera Roll, Using iTunes Gift Cards internationally, Audiobooks and iCloud, Merging contacts from two devices into iCloud

See the rest of the Archives...

« Editorial: Fun, real fun, with iPod accessories

Editorial: Ex-Microsofties, Time to Join the Pod »

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Comments

1

I have plenty of mix CD’s and when I play them with a CD Player they don’t skip but when I download the CD’s on Itunes, there is a 1-2 second pause, Why?

Posted by leeaia11 on July 28, 2006 at 12:17 AM (PDT)

2

The iPod does not support gapless playback.  iTunes allows you to fade in and out of tracks through the Edit > Preferences > Playback > Crossfade Playback slider, but this will only affect playback in iTunes, not the iPod.  The best way to solve your problem would be to join tracks into one track.  In iTunes, after you insert a CD, browse to it in the source menu, highlight all of the tracks (ctrl+a on Windows) and select Advanced > Join CD Tracks.  Then, import the CD by cliking the import button in the top right.

Posted by papayaninja on July 28, 2006 at 10:39 AM (PDT)

3

Before my old laptop crashed, I wisely had all data copied onto discs, including almost 1200 I-tunes hits.  Same songs on my I-pod.  I now have a new laptop, but I can’t get I-tunes data from discs onto new computer’s I-tunes library.  Any hints?

Thanks

Posted by mike the d on July 28, 2006 at 2:14 PM (PDT)

4

If you burned the songs to data disks then you will need to highlight the songs on the disks then drag-n-drop the songs onto the word ‘library’ in the source list and they will be added.  Data disks cannot be imported into the iTunes library.

Posted by Audrey McGirt on July 30, 2006 at 7:52 AM (PDT)

5

I have two AirPorts connected to individual stereo systems and play music from my iTunes library through them.  I have recently noticed that I am now able to play music on “Multiple Speakers” (cool!), however I get an error message reporting that one of my AirPorts does not suport playback as part of a group.  Is this a configuration issue, or a firmware issue?  The firmware version on this AirPort is 6.2.

Posted by Bourno65 on August 2, 2006 at 12:02 AM (PDT)

6

i have an ipod that does not support video playback, but several video files with audiol I would like to extract and convert to mp3 for playback.  Is there any free software that will let me do this?

Posted by Chibithulhu on August 2, 2006 at 6:26 PM (PDT)

7

is it possible to play music on my ipod via a tv? the only way i have managed it so far is to display a photo slideshow and select what i want to play via selecting a playlist. obviously i can’t skip or select individual songs via this method. i have the apple av cable

Posted by wayne calvert on August 14, 2006 at 12:42 PM (PDT)

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