Sharing Files between PC & Mac via iPod

[alpa7]

I own a 40G iPod and G5 and an iBook. And they happily together.

I will be getting a PC laptop at work. Does anyone know if I can use the iPod as a portable diskdrive for the PC as well? I know that you can connect the iPod to a PC (XP), but are the file system compatible?

Since the PC only has USB (no firewire), I want to check this before buy an extra USB cable for the iPod

Thanks.

[AndyH]

Originally posted by alpa7
I own a 40G iPod and G5 and an iBook. And they happily together.

I will be getting a PC laptop at work. Does anyone know if I can use the iPod as a portable diskdrive for the PC as well? I know that you can connect the iPod to a PC (XP), but are the file system compatible?

Since the PC only has USB (no firewire), I want to check this before buy an extra USB cable for the iPod

Thanks.
If your iPod is Mac formatted (most likely, as you've been using it on your Mac) then you will not be able to use it on your PC unless you...

a) Purchase software for your PC that allows it to access a Mac-formatted volume (your iPod). MacOpener is one such software title.

- or -

b) Reformat your iPod to Windows format, which will work with both a Mac and Windows. Make sure you backup all of your iPod's music files prior to doing this, as it will wipe the iPod's drive clean.

[noogabooga]

Welcome. I Pod. U Pod. We Pod!

Unfortunately, the current Mac-formatted iPod will not be recognised by Windows. However, if you convert the iPod to windows format then it can be used on both platforms. In the iPod Settings -> About screen, you can find out what format ur iPod is.

To convert it to Windows format, download and install the latest iPod firmware on ur windows laptop. Then connect the iPod to ur win laptop and do a restore... any existing music and other content on the iPod will be deleted however. But u can transfer them back from ur Mac afterwards.

[Otsego_Undead]

uh, noogabooga thats what Andy just said....
also xplay is another way to use your Mac formatted iPod with your pc, and it costs LESS than MacOpener. Though if you are going to be using both OS's Macopener might be a good choice. XPlay is iPod specific.