Q: How do I put notes on my iPod? I have iTunes but not the newest iTunes 7. I have tried to put notes on my iPod put it has not worked out. How do I put notes on while using the older version of iTunes.
– Peter
A: Actually, there is no feature in iTunes itself to manage notes on the iPod, regardless of version. Notes are actually placed on the iPod simply by placing text files within the “Notes” directory of the iPod hard disk, via Windows Explorer or Finder (Mac).
iTunes itself accesses the iPod simply as a hard disk attached to your computer. However, when using automatic synchronization of your iTunes library, it will normally auto-eject the iPod once the synchronization completes, disconnecting the drive letter.
To keep the iPod connected, you have to select the option to “Enable Disk Use.” In iTunes 7, this is found on the main “Summary” tab that appears when selecting your iPod in the source list. In earlier versions of iTunes, it was found under the iTunes “Preferences” tab for the iPod, found by selecting Edit, Preferences and choosing the “iPod” tab.
Once “Disk Use” is enabled, the iPod will remain connected to your computer, even after you’ve completed an automatic synchronization.
You should then see your iPod listed as a disk under Windows Explorer or Finder, and can simply browse to it as you would any other hard disk on your computer.
At the top (root) level of the iPod disk, you’ll see a folder labeled “Notes.” To store notes on your iPod, simply save files into this folder as text files, using a tool such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac). You can also create sub-folders within this directory, which will appear on the iPod Notes section as well, as sub-menus.
There are a number of third-party tools that can also assist you in using the Notes feature, either to copy/convert your own content from other formats, or to populate the Notes with information such as news headlines, weather information, etc. You can find some of these tools in our Software Downloads section.
