2010 iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guide

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Ask iLounge 7-6-06

Author's pic

By Jerrod H.

Contributing Editor, iLounge
Published: Thursday, July 6, 2006
Category: Ask iLounge

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-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 music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?


For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

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

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

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

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

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

Q:

I spent about 20 minutes making a custom equalizer setting that fits my taste perfectly for a lot of my music, and can’t wait to try it on my iPod. How do I get this transferred to the device?

- Spencer

A:

Unfortunately, custom equalizers cannot be transferred to the iPod - it’s set of equalizers are not editable, either.

However, if you choose to apply a certain built-in equalizer to a specific song in iTunes using its tag controls, this equalizer choice will override whatever default equalizer you’re using on the iPod. For example, if you usually listen using “Bass Booster” on your iPod, but you’ve tagged a song to use “Bass Reducer” in iTunes, then the iPod will also play the song using “Bass Reducer.”

For more information, see our Complete Guide to Equalizers and Advanced Features in iTunes.

Q:

I converted my Word files to Notepad files and drag it to the Notes folder as intructed in the manual. However, when I view the Notes in my iPod 5G 60GB, the converted files cannot be seen in its entirety. I checked and viewed the converted Notes files in the PC, the whole files or documents can be seen from there.

- Ida

A:

Unfortunately, even though the iPod’s hard drive is capable of storing gigantic text files, the iPod is limited to viewing only the first 4KB (or roughly 4096 characters) of each note. To view a larger file, you’ll need to split the note into smaller, separate pieces.

The easiest way to do this on a Mac is with this note-making application we’ve created using Apple’s built-in Automator program. This will ask for a plain-text document, create a set of note files for your iPod (complete with “Previous” and “Next” page links!), and install them to a currently-connected iPod.

If you’re on a PC (or a Mac, really), check out this website-based utility that serves a similar purpose.

Q:

I’m thinking of buying a new 60GB iPod, but I live in Canada and for various reasons, the iPod I’ll be getting will be from either the UK or China.

Will I have problems with the iPod when I get it due to the different voltages between the countries? And will I need an adapter for the power outlet prongs as well?

- Steve

A:

You’ll have no problems whatsoever. First of all, no current iPod comes with a power adapter at all - rather, they’re built to charge via world-standard USB power supplied by computers.

If you were to purchase an iPod USB Power Adapter overseas, you may need to purchase Apple’s additional World Travel Adapter Kit to ensure you have the right plug when you get home, but the power adapter itself is certified to automatically work correctly using any voltage around the world.

Q:

I’ve lost the CD that came with my iPod. I no longer have the file ipodsetup.exe, which I’m now being asked to find. I tried getting the file from the Apple website, but I can’t find it. Where can I get the file?

- Mike

A:

No worries. In fact, we usually recommend new iPod users bypass the CD altogether, as it is often the case that the CD’s contents are already out of date when the consumer purchases the iPod.

Everything you need to install a new iPod - including the iPodSetup.exe you’re looking for - can be obtained by downloading the latest version of iTunes at www.itunes.com, and the latest iPod Software Updater from www.apple.com/ipod/download. Enjoy!

Q:

My songs in iTunes (Mac of course), all from my own CDs, are in AAC format. When I burn them onto an Audio CD, for use in a normal non-MP3 CD player, they are converted back into uncompressed audio. Are any of the original frequencies etc from the original CD somehow restored when the AAC tracks are burnt back into an audio CD? Is the situation the same if one uses Roxio’s Toast software?

- George

A:

Unfortunately, the “lossy” nature of AAC, MP3, and many other compression schemes is permanent - no fidelity can be restored when the audio is transformed back into CD format. These compression schemes are efficient (producing small audio files) in part because they permanently rid themselves of many parts of the audio stream that aren’t essential.

“Lossless” audio compression schemes are different. They’re not nearly as efficient, producing much bigger files, because they behave like a Zip file in that they only compress the audio data, not removing any content. These files, when you listen to them or burn them onto an audio CD, uncompress themselves to restore all of the original audio fidelity.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

11-20-09: Sharing iTunes libraries between two user accounts, Enlarging text on iPhone 3GS, Transferring an iPod to a new user, iPhone shuffles when walking, New 8GB iPod touch models, Transferring purchases from a remote iTunes library

11-13-09: Syncing different contact info with two iPhones on the same computer, iPod shows no content, Syncing music and videos in playlists, Exclamation marks next to tracks in iTunes, Playing podcasts on 3G iPod shuffle.

11-6-09: Storing iPod software updates, Playing an iPod continuously, Transferring play counts to a new iTunes library, iPhone backups, Klipsch S4i earphones

10-30-09: Authorization problems with iPod touch, Changing Grid View background in iTunes, iTunes library and Music Folder are different sizes, Older iPods and firmware updates, Reconciling two different iTunes libraries, Syncing multiple devices to one iTunes library

10-23-09: Using a laptop with an iTunes library on an external hard drive, Transferring YouTube videos to iPod, iPod touch accessibility settings, Disabling Shake to Shuffle on iPod nano, Purchased songs fail to download from iTunes Store, Charging and powering off iPhone

See the rest of the Archives...

Next: Reader Editorial: Summer 2006 iPod Speculation

Previous: Ask iLounge 6-29-06

Comments

1

I downloaded some music videos on my Itunes but when I try viewing them in my ipod is like I have nothing on file .. help. I know that they are there..

Posted by kiwi15 on July 7, 2006 at 10:59 PM (PDT)

2

how do you transfer DVD’s to the video iPod?

Posted by chubbyfalloutboy on July 12, 2006 at 6:23 PM (PDT)

If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.





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