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I, Pod

February 18th, 2008 - 11:46am

Right, so Justine has a new job; this new job means she’ll be travelling into the city via train instead of driving.  After a little bit of “umming” and “ahhing” we decided to get an iPod Nano (8GB).

I like iPods, from a hardware point of view.  They’re small, nicely designed, feel pretty robust and are extremely easy to use.  However, that’s about where it ends.  Being forced to use iTunes just so I can put music on my device is silly.  Ford may as well tell me I can only use Caltex Premium in my car.  I’m planning on using YamiPod anyway since it sounds like it’ll work how I want it, but first I need to sync once with iTunes.

I’ve never used an iPod from an owner’s point of view — I’ve listened to them, I’ve helped people install iTunes and have helped people sync their units when they weren’t syncing.  However, I’ve never had the whole end-to-end iPod experience, until now that is.

We ordered the unit on Wednesday morning, and it managed to arrive here all the way from Shenzen, China in under 48-hours.  Pretty good so far.  I picked up the unit from our mail room on the way out from work today.  While driving home (when stopped at lights!), I opened the box — about the size of 3 or 4 DVD cases — and inside was a tiny little case about the size of a packet of cigarettes.

The case opened easily and though the iPod was wedged inside tightly, I notice the diagram indicating that I bend the plastic to get it out.  I did and it worked.

I’m surprised at the diminutive size of the unit, it’s tiny!  No wonder, since it’s just flash storage.  Still, it’s light and looks nice.  The engraving on the back (“If you can dream it, you can do it” — ’twas Justine’s choice to put this Walt Disney quote on the back) looks quite reasonable too.

Right, so I get home and unpack everything.  I configure all the settings to my liking (no doubt Justine will change them, since it’s her iPod) and plug it into the computer.  Why didn’t Apple simply make it a USB “B” cable like almost every other device I have?  Now I have to take care of this cable — which probably costs an arm and a leg to replace — instead of simply using a cable available for fifty cents anywhere.  Oh well, it’ll stay in the one place anyway, I bet.

I can’t find a setting on the iPod to make it just a “data storage” device simply allowing me to transfer files across.  Also, it seems that no software was provided.  I suppose I’ll download it… 75MB?!  Oh well here we go.  Why not include a 128MB USB stick in the box, they’re ludicrously cheap now.  I guess I’ll install iTunes… on my work laptop.

I need administrative priveleges just to install *iTunes*?  Software I buy for work that costs thousands of dollars and installs device drivers all over the place doesn’t do this.  Whatever, it’s a non-issue since I know the password anyway.  Here we go, iTunes is installing.

“You cannot install iTunes as a newer version of Quicktime is already installed.”  Huh?  No one said anything about iTunes, and why can’t the newest version of iTunes work with the newest version of Quicktime I already have installed?  Fine, I’ll uninstall Quicktime, I never use it anyway, although I suppose I now will since iTunes needs it.  Here we go (again), iTunes is (again) installing.

Success!  iTunes is on.  Bugger restarting.  Time to run it for the first time.  “Configuring… Please wait.”  Shouldn’t any configuration have happened when, say, it was installing?  Especially if it has to do it once the first time I run it.

Uh, oh, I’m going to miss my hairdresser’s appointment, this is taking a lot longer than I expected…

…OK, now my hair’s shorter but I still don’t have a working iPod.  Time to see where I was at.

“iTunes Setup Assistant”  I guess installing, then configuring, means that it wasn’t setup.  Maybe it’s different for each user so I’ll give it a break this time.  “Find Music”  No thanks, I know where they are.  No thanks again, I’ll organise my music the way *I* want it, not Apple.  No thanks yet again, I already have music, that’s why I bought an iPod.  By the way, can I use my iPod yet?

Alright, I can see iTunes.  Does this mean I can listen to music on the device that’s not the computer?  Guess not.  No thanks, I don’t want a mini store.  What’s that in the background?  Windows is telling me my hardware is ready to use, but the iPod still doesn’t have any music on it for me to listen to.

Wait, iTunes has changed again.  I don’t want to register, license agreement?  Haven’t I already answered “Yes” to two of those so far?  Cancel.  Wait again, I see iPod in Windows Explorer, maybe this means I can put music files on it after all!  Oh, no.  There’s an “iPod_Control” folder, and within that a “Music” folder, but there’s a bunch of “F00″ type folders.  I might be able to delete them but nothing has told me what to do yet.  I guess I’d better leave that alone for now.

I’ll try dragging a song onto iTunes to import it, since YamiPod tells me I just need to have one song on it anyway.  Muse, you’re the lucky first.  Ahh, there it is in iTunes.  And I can play it.  Now, how to get it onto the iPod?  Right-click?  No.  All, there’s a “Sync” option under “File”.  But it’s disabled.  What do I have to do to get that enabled?  The iPod says it’s Connected.  Maybe it already copied across?  I can’t use the “Eject” button that the manual told me to, so I’ll just unplug it.

Nope, still no music.  Let’s plug it back in then, maybe I can get that setup screen that was on before back.  OK, fine, I agree to whatever I agree to.  It’s just my work laptop, anyway.  Why do you need my phone number?  Are you planning to call me?  Oh well, we’re hardly home anyway and it’s the home number.

Stop forcing me to use the iTunes store.  “Skip this step.”  Right, I get to name it.  Time to shine, self, think up a snazzy name she’ll think is funny and love you forever.  Diamonds might be forever but a cool name on an electronic device, I’ll be set for eternity.  Even better, it’s appearing as a “Device”.

Let’s copy that one song across now, and sync it.  Now the eject button is working.  Hurrah, it’s only taken almost two hours (with a haircut in the middle, I feel like I shouldn’t have stopped for that haircut) but I can listen to this one song.  But I’m not finished here, oh no, I want lots of songs!

How do I get to see it again in iTunes?  OK fine, I’ll disconnect and reconnect the cable.  Which means I have to unplug the headphone.  That’s annoying but I doubt we’ll be listening to it much in this manner.  Ah ha, there it is again.

You know, this is not as bad as I expected.  I really thought I would have to sync, watch all my files disappear or be renamed and make a pact with the Devil to get this to run smoothly.  It’s not so bad considering I can just use iTunes to copy the files across without even needing the library.  I still loathe iTunes and don’t really like the iPod interface, but it’s not mine.

Tags: annoying, ipod, nerdiness, ramblings