IMPORTANT! iPod Shuffle = Crippled??

[FallN]

This is something I found while checking out the boards. Thanks sabresfan007 for bringing it to my attention.

iPod Shuffle: Does not mount when not linked to a music library

MacFixIt reader Scott Rose reports some odd behavior (that may be by design) from the iPod Shuffle, where the device will not mount on the desktop, nor appear in iTunes if it is changed from its default setting and un-linked to a music library. Rose writes:

"When you take a hard-drive-based iPod, plug it into a machine, and tell iTunes NOT to link that iPod to that music library, the iPod STILL mounts on the desktop (if you have Disk Use enabled) and the iPod still shows up in the iTunes source list. This is great if you want to manually add songs to it.

"However, with the new iPod Shuffle, if you choose not to link the iPod to the music library, the iPod does NOT show up in the iTunes source list nor does it mount on the desktop. In fact, it's almost as if you ejected the iPod Shuffle altogether... because when you go into iTunes' iPod preferences, it says that No iPod is found. You have to unplug the iPod and plug it back in again.

"Tested this on the 512 MB model.

^^^^ http://macfixit.com/ ^^^^

So what does this mean? Can the iPod Shuffle be used as a Pendrive/Flashdrive??

Can it be manually linked to TWO iTunes libraries? Can I transfer music to the iPod Shuffle from TWO different PCs??

This might seriously cripple the iPod Shuffle in a lot of people's eyes... I was seriously considering picking one up as a companion to my normal iPod... but I have TWO libraries on TWO different PCs... this isn't looking too good for me. :(

[dcmacnut]

The iPod shuffle has two settings -- manual and autofill. If you set it to manual, it should behave like any other iPod on manual, and allow you to use it with more than one computer. Not a lot of people have them yet, so we'll have to wait and see what real world usage reports.

What we are hearing (from other posts) is that to use the shuffle as a flashdrive, you need to allocate space for data (via the iPod's preferences in iTunes) so the shuffle knows how much space is there for music (if you use the autofill) and how much for data.

I'm assuming the author of that MacFixIt post has his iPod shuffle set to autofill. If you plug any existing iPod that is set to autosync to a different iTunes library, it asks you if you want to "connect" or "link" to the new library. Clicking "no" stops the connection, but you are able to access the iPod preference panel.

However, with an iPod set on manual you get no such message, and can access the iPod just fine. This is most likely also true for the shuffle (again -- don't have one, can't test it). You must have it set on manual to use with more than one computerl. As far as it not appearing at all the other way, it might be a new design in the firmware. Hard to tell.

Chris

[FallN]

This could make or break my purchase of an iPod Shuffle...

[dcmacnut]

Maybe we can ask the illustrious iPod Lounge product reviewers to test this out for the folks concerned about connectivity.

Again, I would bet dollars to donuts that as long as the iPod shuffle is set to "manual," it can be used on more than one computer. You may even have to allocate a small amount of memory to "data" storage." I mean based on flash drive usage alone, it wouldn't be very good at transfering files if it couldn't connect to a 2nd computer.

[MeTaL]

Whats that about manual ? Probably it will be like the creative micro ...where you have to specify the amount of space that has to be used for data (using its software).

I doubt the shuffle will be like that. Its a flash drive right. Atleast it looks like one :)

[dcmacnut]

Originally posted by MeTaL
Whats that about manual ?

Manual=you add the songs by hand versus Autofill=you let iTunes add the songs for you

I doubt the shuffle will be like that. Its a flash drive right. Atleast it looks like one

According to the shuffle specs, there is a preference in iTunes to tell it how much should be used for data and how much for music.

[FallN]

Originally posted by dcmacnut
According to the shuffle specs, there is a preference in iTunes to tell it how much should be used for data and how much for music.

I understand that, but that doesn't mean that it can be used with TWO or more different computers...

[Kazaroth]

It's a damn shame you can't get it to autofill on 'manual' - there's no reason not to just have an "Autofill my iPod" option without having to change modes.

If this is true, maybe they're trying to stop people using it to share songs with their friends -- which would be stupid since you could just copy the songs on as data anyway...

i.e. I hope the shuffle works with (an updated) ephpod as well as iTunes...

[TommyMagic]

I've got the impression that there is some missunderstanding going around, expecially as concerns the use as a flash drive!

I dont think you have to set any space aside, I think the confusion has come from the slider in iTunes which shows how much to allocate for AutoFill, but a lot of people are saying that it has NO effect on having to make space for memory, it is a form of that because iTunes is basically asking you how much you want to fill to Shuffle up with! But it appears that you can put other files onn the shuffle until you fill the space not taken up by music! You dont have to decide before how much to set aside for files, it's just down to how much space you have on it!

Could be wrong....

[-James]

Originally posted by TommyMagic
I've got the impression that there is some missunderstanding going around, expecially as concerns the use as a flash drive!

I dont think you have to set any space aside, I think the confusion has come from the slider in iTunes which shows how much to allocate for AutoFill, but a lot of people are saying that it has NO effect on having to make space for memory, it is a form of that because iTunes is basically asking you how much you want to fill to Shuffle up with! But it appears that you can put other files onn the shuffle until you fill the space not taken up by music! You dont have to decide before how much to set aside for files, it's just down to how much space you have on it!

Could be wrong....

You are wrong. You do have to set aside how much space you want to allocate to other files, and you do this via a slider in iTunes.

[dcmacnut]

Originally posted by Kazaroth
It's a damn shame you can't get it to autofill on 'manual' - there's no reason not to just have an "Autofill my iPod" option without having to change modes.

Why should the shuffle be any different than every other iPod on the market? Setting any iPod to manual eliminates any syncing with your library so you can control the music yourself. You can always switch back if you want autofill or autosync.

[TommyMagic]

Originally posted by james_shadow07
You are wrong. You do have to set aside how much space you want to allocate to other files, and you do this via a slider in iTunes.

(i'm not arguing, i'm actually asking)

How do you know that for sure? You cant have a Shuffle yet!? Are you sure that isn't a slider for how much music you want to put on for an AutoFill? That would, in effect, decide how much space was available for files!

But if you had it on manual update, if you only put 2 songs on it, are you sure there is a limit on how many other non music files you can put on it?

EDIT - OK, i've found on the apple site where I assume you are getting that information from and I see what you are saying, however I still feel like it could be how I say, this is what Apple says:

Music and More

With up to 1GB of storage space(1), iPod shuffle happily accommodates files along with your music. Via iTunes, you tell iPod shuffle how much storage space to leave free for files and how much to Autofill with music. Then use iPod shuffle as a portable backup drive or to exchange files between multiple computers.

But see how it says "how much to autofill" - that leads me to think that the slider ONLY has a place in autofill, which is obvious because if you couldn't decide how much to fill in autofill, it would always fill up totally and have no space for regular files!

Surely if you don't use autofill and manually put a few songs on the Shuffle, it would leave the rest of the space available and there is nothing stopping you filling that with any files!

[baggss]

The option in question is explained on the Apple site and the Window that allows you to allocate space is shown HERE. (http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/shuffle.html)

A quote from the web page:

Music and More

With up to 1G of storage space(1), iPod shuffle happily accommodates files along with your music. Via iTunes, you tell iPod shuffle how much storage space to leave free for files and how much to Autofill with music. Then use iPod shuffle as a portable backup drive or to exchange files between multiple computers.

[TommyMagic]

Yeah I just said that.....

(i'll let you off if you were typing whilst I was editing :D haha only messing!)

What do you reckon to my take on it though? What's yours on it? Is it just for AutoFill and if you have it set to Manual the slider is useless in my opinion!

I cant seem to say what I mean in my head, but I cant see how that slider has ANY effect on manual updating, how would it, it is obviously a AutoFill box!

I'm sure that If you manually manage your song files, you can use all the space you dont use to put other files on, without choosing before hand!

[[zerophase]]

like no one has one yet so we just have to wait to see...

[baggss]

I suspect that the slider changes the size of the music/data partitions. I don't think it matters if you use Manual or Auto.