From the "Apps I'd Like to See" Dept.

[RAMd]

Many of us who are getting a Mini also have a "regular" 'Pod- mine is a 15G Gen III.

Filling up a Mini will mean either doing it manually from the Manage Manually pref, or creating a New User to do it in the traditional mode. (FUS in X makes this a bit easier).

I'd like to see an app that would randomly select tunes from iT's library, and load the Mini until it's full. Add some prefs like what playlists, artists or genres you'd like to pull from. And maybe have a check box for some tunes that you *always* want thrown in the mix.

This way you could keep the big 'Pod filled as usual, and easily vary the content of the Mini to keep it's smaller capacity fresh. This would be even more desirable for those of us who use higher bit rates and thus will have far fewer than the 1000 song average.

[sparks9]

I think iTunes does this already all automated.

[mark_wilkins]

Originally posted by RAMd?d
Filling up a Mini will mean either doing it manually from the Manage Manually pref, or creating a New User to do it in the traditional mode. (FUS in X makes this a bit easier).

Not at all.

First, iTunes knows how to manage separate updating preferences for multiple iPods. Second, iTunes allows you to sync to a playlist.

Soo, what you do is make a Smart Playlist that is set up to contain a random selection of 3710 MB of music, then configure the iPod to sync to that playlist.

In my case, I've specified that that random selection come from songs I've marked with 4 or 5 stars, which are more than enough to fill the mini.

-- Mark

[RAMd]

And how does it manage separate playlists for different iPods?

One SmartList would not allow for multiple play lists that I can see.

So I have a Mini with four or five playlists that I want to randomly populate with each sync, with three or four songs in a few of the lists staying on permanently.

How does iTunes accomplish this, automatically, after initial set up.

I don't use the stars, I would not consider going back to rate over 1100 songs.

Would I have each of the smart playlists set to a different genre, for instance?

If iTunes in fact does this, that Mini is closer than I planned.

[mark_wilkins]

And how does it manage separate playlists for different iPods?

Sure. My reaction is "Of course it does" but then I wonder whether I'm even understanding what you're asking. You can have as many playlists as you want and each iPod can sync with as many of those playlists as you like.

-- Mark

[AndyH]

Originally posted by RAMd?d
And how does it manage separate playlists for different iPods?

One SmartList would not allow for multiple play lists that I can see.

So I have a Mini with four or five playlists that I want to randomly populate with each sync, with three or four songs in a few of the lists staying on permanently.

How does iTunes accomplish this, automatically, after initial set up.

I don't use the stars, I would not consider going back to rate over 1100 songs.

Would I have each of the smart playlists set to a different genre, for instance?

If iTunes in fact does this, that Mini is closer than I planned.

Take a look at the Playlist Blender application, it might help with some of this:
http://www.visi.com/~bwareham/playlistblender.html

[sparks9]

Apple should put some of the features from the blender programme into the next version of iTunes.

[RAMd]

Blender looks like it will do some of what I want.

iTunes alone won't.

I'm still looking for the random repopulation at sync feature. But this is a good start.

[AndyH]

Originally posted by RAMd?d
Blender looks like it will do some of what I want.

iTunes alone won't.

I'm still looking for the random repopulation at sync feature. But this is a good start.

Also check out the Using a Smart Playlist to sync small iPods hint posted Feb. 20th on the Mac OS X Hints web site:
http://www.macosxhints.com/

It's right on the front page as of today (Feb 22).

Be sure to read the follow-up comments too, as a couple of guys posted some interesting iTunes Apple Scripts that you might like.

[RAMd]

Got it and bookmarked!

Thanks again, Andy!