Keeping iPod updated with two computers

[twhedbee]

Please choose the appropriate forum for this topic. Thank you. Can people suggest the best way to use an iPod with two computers -- work and home? I may purchase music or rip CDs to either computer. Ideally, I'd like the iPod pick up any music from both computers (without creating duplicates, obviously).

Right now I am doing all this manually with ephPod. Is there an easier way?

And a related question: If, say, I have 500 different songs on the iPod, and I set it to automatically sync (via iTunes) with a computer that only has 300 of those songs, are the extra 200 songs deleted? If so, is there any way to prevent this?

Thanks for any help!

Tom

[studogvetmed]

The only way to keep an iPod updated between too computers is to manual update.

The way the iPod's sync mechnism works it can only be "associated" with a main computer while on auto, so as you say if you have 500 songs on the iPod, but an iTunes only has 300 any songs not in iTunes will be erased from the iPod.

If you love autosync, use the iPod as a transfer medium. Choose one computer that will hold all music and drag/drop the raw music files to the hard drive of the iPod. Take the iPod to the other computer and copy off the songs (then erasing from the iPod hard drive), import into iTunes and then sync.

To me this is the "easiest" way of dealing with to computers. Use iTunes as a medium on a second computer, but don't try to do any syncing with it and transfer all songs to the main computer through the use of the iPod as a removable drive.

On the other hand, if you don't mind the micromanaging, manual updating would be fine too. But the iPod doesn't sync like a palm does, it only mirrors a single library.

Stuart

[twhedbee]

Thanks, Stuart, for your help. I hope someone can come up with a more elegant solution sometime!

Tom