[Rayzilla]

I just ordered a (3G - I hope) 32GB iPod Touch (from airmiles.ca) and I will be receiving it in mid-December when my friend from Toronto comes to visit me here in Hong Kong.

I wouldn't consider myself a techno-geek, nor do I have a lot of time to do all those fancy things with the Touch. So I figured that I would start this thread to pick up some tips on what I should do in preparation before the Touch arrives and for the moment it arrives. Hopefully other Newbie Touch owners can also make use of the recommendations provided on this thread by the experienced owners and feel free to post their own questions as well so that we can all learn together.

Here are my first questions:

1) Should I use iTunes or some other application like MediaMonkey or any other? And why you would recommend any other?
2) Are there things that I should download in advance?
3) Is there anything that you recommend I do BEFORE it arrives?
4) Is there anything that you recommend that I do WHEN it arrives?
5) I currently have a 4 GB iPod Nano that is running out of space, but I wouldn't mind being able to share the music in there now (via iTunes) with the new Touch - is this possible?
6) My friend managed to put some of his music onto my Nano using some application (forgot the name), but subsequently when I had to sync my Nano to my iTunes, I lost all of those songs. Is there any way that I can get songs from anyone else's MP3 player or iPod onto my Touch?
7) Is it easy to get video, say from YouTube or where ever, onto the Touch?
8) If you've had a Touch, or an iPod product for that matter, for a while now, how would you do things differently now with your experience?

To keep track of questions and their corresponding answers, we will continue the number count as we add further questions. For clarification, the next question will be 9), that way the answers do not have to follow immediately after the question post.

Thanks and feel free to help out or to add your questions to this thread.


Cheers!

 

[ShootingStars]

1) Should I use iTunes or some other application like MediaMonkey or any other? And why you would recommend any other?

Only use iTunes for jailbreaking... MediaMonkey is MUCH better. MediaMonkey can auto-scan folders and look for where your music is unlike iTunes where you have to add them.

2) Are there things that I should download in advance?

Download the stuff necessary to jailbreak your iPod.

3) Is there anything that you recommend I do BEFORE it arrives?

Get a good pair of in-ear monitors/headphones. Get an iPod case as well.

4) Is there anything that you recommend that I do WHEN it arrives?

Jailbreak it right away. Before doing anything with it.

5) I currently have a 4 GB iPod Nano that is running out of space, but I wouldn't mind being able to share the music in there now (via iTunes) with the new Touch - is this possible?

This is possible. Get TAG & RENAME software (cracked =d) and look in your Nano where all the MP3s are... they should be named via numbers of wierd letters. Just copy them all to the hard drive and rename via ID3 tags with TAG & RENAME.

6) My friend managed to put some of his music onto my Nano using some application (forgot the name), but subsequently when I had to sync my Nano to my iTunes, I lost all of those songs. Is there any way that I can get songs from anyone else's MP3 player or iPod onto my Touch?

Don't let iTunes sync the player. Let MediaMonkey.

7) Is it easy to get video, say from YouTube or where ever, onto the Touch?

Yes. Once you jailbreak the iPod, (google xsellize, beyouriphone, etc.) sources where you can download Cydia applications for free (AFTER JAILBREAK). Download Yourtube, it is an integrated downloader for the YouTube app.

You can also just download MXTube in Cydia but that sucks since the only videos you can find is via TITLE and not tags.

8) If you've had a Touch, or an iPod product for that matter, for a while now, how would you do things differently now with your experience?

I have an iPod Touch 2G and Sony S639F. I like the S639F better in terms of sound but am now using my Touch 2G since I got tired of 639F. I will be using the touch 2G until an English Sony NW-A840 comes out.

 

[midoo1990]

^^dude, why do you want him to jailbreak the touch,he said he is a newbie and besides cydia apps is not that great
i think that i download an app before that can save youtube videos but i am not sure of its name.
FOR THE OP,tell your friend to get you a protecter like invisible shield(zagg.com) or something because the touch will scratch from even air molecules!!i am not kidding if you hold it in your hand all the time,it will scratch!

 

[Buckster]

Itunes is fine and a GOOD program in my opinion

re scratching on the rear bodywork - the glass screen is very durable

re apps etc - I use a load of offline (syncs for offline viewing) - well 2 - RSS programs, I find these superb, while away lunch time at work reading through tech news etc

 

[Young Spade]

If you don't get a case the back will get scratched to hell. I would also suggest a screen protector and a case if you drop it... I don't use a case but I had a screen protector on there for a year and I just took it off 2 weeks ago... looks brand new; besides the back of course.

 

[Rayzilla]

Thank you for all of the helpful responses so far.

A few follow up questions for now:

9) I have often come across the term "jail broken Touch" before. How many of you have done it? If you have, do you still recommend it? Can you put it back in jail / reverse jail breaking once you have done it? Is it easy to do for newbies?

10) In addition to ShootingStars, are any of you not using iTunes? (And ShootingStars, thanks for taking your time in providing your response but just wondering if midoo's response changes anything?)

Thanks!

 

[ShootingStars]

Quote:

Originally Posted by midoo1990 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^dude, why do you want him to jailbreak the touch,he said he is a newbie and besides cydia apps is not that great i think that i download an app before that can save youtube videos but i am not sure of its name. FOR THE OP,tell your friend to get you a protecter like invisible shield(zagg.com) or something because the touch will scratch from even air molecules!!i am not kidding if you hold it in your hand all the time,it will scratch!

it only takes one click to do a jailbreak... literally. if you are not going to jailbreak? when will you? that was the first thing I did when I first got my ipod touch 2g. if you fail the jailbreak it is easy to reverse... all you have to do is restore it and rejailbreak again. this rarely happens though. jailbreaking allows you to unlock the ipod touch's full potential... google for the reasons.

try mediamonkey and you will see how itunes is not better

cydia apps suck? no appstore app can work on the springboard.

 

[midoo1990]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShootingStars /img/forum/go_quote.gif it only takes one click to do a jailbreak... literally. if you are not going to jailbreak? when will you? that was the first thing I did when I first got my ipod touch 2g. if you fail the jailbreak it is easy to reverse... all you have to do is restore it and rejailbreak again. this rarely happens though. jailbreaking allows you to unlock the ipod touch's full potential... google for the reasons. try mediamonkey and you will see how itunes is not better cydia apps suck? no appstore app can work on the springboard.

Dude,I know what jailbrake means and what cydia do,I don't think they deserve it and it is not a necessity for anyone using the touch,besides if the iPod bricks or something happened wrong apple will blow you away because you voided the warranty.just my opinion.

 

[shigzeo]

I am a big iPod touch user who has jailbreaked his firmware many times and who has in the end, decided to stay away from it. It isn't because I am scared of what will happen - there is always a way out of a brick. No, I prefer to keep it the way it is for now. Unless Jailbreak allowed Rockbox or some other useful app to come out, I will not touch it.

iTunes - works great.

For ripping, if you have windows, use EAC, if OSX, use Max and for Linux, I am not so sure.

The touch has incredible power to drive inner ear monitors (aside from usual caveats with armature earphones (which no portable is able to really drive even to 80% efficiency). I'll get to that in my iPod touch review after one year thread.

As for trasnferring other people's music, I will stay away from that as my prerogative isn't for copying music which doesn't belong to oneself. There are ways, but going that route is more of a moral choice than anything else.