1st generation Ipod and playlists

[newburghjack]

I wrote a few days ago; 31 people read my post, but no one has answered. That makes me think that I wasn't clear, so let me try to simplify.

I have 2 playlists on my Ipod; both smart playlists. One is my songs; one is my son's. When we go on a long car ride, we take turns listening to the music. If he starts, when his time is up, I pause his playlist and switch to mine. When we go back to his list, after pausing mine, it is as if we never played any of his music. At some point in the trip the ipod will repeat songs we heard earlier. When we go back to mine, the same result.

Because they are smart lists though, when we get home - as long as I haven't let the battery drain completely - all song counts, even the duplicates, will register in Itunes. That's a help certainly, for our next trip together. Still is there some way to have ipod remember what songs it has played on playlist 1, when we switch to 2, so that when we go back to 1, it will not repeat songs played earlier? We could make smaller playlists and just more of them, and then take turns switching only when the smaller lists are played out. But is there some other way that I am missing. Please, someone, help.
Jack

[eustacescrubb]

Have you tried adding the parameter "Play count = 0" to the lists?

[newburghjack]

Yes. The smart playlists say "Play count = 0". And on the computer - through Itunes - that solves the problem, because I don't have to put the list on "pause". I simply switch to another list and when I go back to the original, the "smartness" kicks in and follows the parameter of "=0". This is NOT so, that I can figure out, on the Ipod. YET, when I hook up the Ipod to I tunes, all the playcounts are transferred, so Ipod has been counting plays. That's why I think I must be doing something wrong.

Thank you for the response BTW.
Jack

[newburghjack]

In other words, it appears that the "smart" lists become dumb in ipod yet ipod is smart enough to transfer playcounts when hooked back up to Itunes.
Jack

[kimhill]

I think the problem is just that smart playlists on the 1st gen iPods don't update w/o a sync. I don't see a solution. You might try a compromise by somehow breaking up each playlist into smaller sublists. Each time you swap playlist, you use a new sublist, so no repeats...

[eustacescrubb]

I think the problem is just that smart playlists on the 1st gen iPods don't update w/o a sync.

Yeah, you're right. All iPod software < 2 requires iTunes to update metadata. The playlists are only "Smart" when iTunes manipulates them - they do indeed become "dumb" apart from iTunes.

But this should only be a problem if you've heard the song before outside the playlist or if you stop the playlist completely rather than pausing it. If you play a normal playlist on shuffle on the iPod, songs won't repeat - the playlist will play though completey. The solution might be to put the playlist on pause, and then turn the hold button on.

[newburghjack]

Thank you both for your thoughtful responses. You are right that it's not a problem as long as I don't stop the playlist. Pausing the playlist also is not a problem UNTIL you switch to another playlist, when pause apparently becomes the same as "stop." Using the hold button doesn't allow me to swtich to another playlist.

The only solution does appear to be making smaller sub-playlists and taking turns only when they are done. That doesn't help with itrip though. So if anyone has any suggestions, I welcome them.

[MikeM]

how about a playlist with a 50/50 split of each of your songs? then set the ipod to shuffle. you don't get a block of time with your music but you'll still get to hear your own 50% of the time.

besides, if you really don't like his music, you only have to hear a song or two before yours comes back.

and there won't be any repeats.

[MikeM]

or for a more expensive option: each use your own ipod.