[YngwieJMalmsteen]

So I finally broke down and bought an mp3 player, you'd think I'd have done it earlier with 33gb and growing; but truth be told none of the players out there really offer all the features I want. I really should have waited for the 80gb (probably this summer) but the price drop was just too irresistable. Anyway, I already hate itunes without having used it yet. So, I found ipod liberator, anapod, podworks, and ephpod, but I'm guessing there's a zillion of them out there, so lets hear 'em and I'll put em on the list.

The main feature I would want would be free, unlimited drag n drop, but if anyone with experience with several of the programs could elaborate on their pros/cons it would be much appreciated.

anapod limited free version/$25
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/

ipod liberator sharware/$15
http://www.zeleksoftware.com/

podworks 250 song trial/$8
http://www.scifihifi.com/podworks/

ephpod free?!?!?
http://www.ephpod.com/

Joey

 

[blessingx]

Maybe if you said what you hated about iTunes someone could triangulate.

 

[MrJoshua]

Ephpod was good when I last used it, but I like iTunes a hell of a lot more.

 

[YngwieJMalmsteen]

Well, I guess the real problem is transferring my music onto other peoples computers. Also, the prospect of it deleting music as it "syncs up" is very disturbing to me. I don't plan on deleting whats on my HD but what about files I get at a friend's house or something? Also, its obvously just to try to get you to buy songs from them (never happening). Also, its probably going to try to start some crap with windows and hog my resources (not if hijackthis! has anything to say about it).

I don't even have my ipod yet (hopefully coming on monday) it just seemed to me that there wasn't any kind of consensus on which program people use.

 

[bigshot]

QUOTE: Well, I guess the real problem is transferring my music onto other peoples computers.

That's a limitation to the iPod, not iTunes. But it's easily solved with a small third party program. I use PodWorks which runs right off the iPod's hard drive, but that's a Mac program. I'm sure someone could recommend something equivalent for the PC.

QUOTE: Also, the prospect of it deleting music as it "syncs up" is very disturbing to me. I don't plan on deleting whats on my HD but what about files I get at a friend's house or something?

The easiest way to handle that would be to have your friend burn the MP3s he's giving you on a CD-ROM, or put them on the hard drive of your iPod (as opposed to adding them to the music library). Then you just bring it home and drag the files into iTunes. That would add them to your library, and you wouldn't have to figure out how to sync your iPod to someone else's computer that might have different MP3 software than you do. It is possible to do, but you want to make sure if they're using iTunes that you switch to Manage Library Manually before docking.

QUOTE: Also, its obvously just to try to get you to buy songs from them (never happening).

There are a lot more advantages to iTunes than just the iTunes Music Store. I don't use the store myself, but I love the program. It's much more powerful than any other one. I've used four different MP3 players in the past, and iTunes is the clear champ.

QUOTE: Also, its probably going to try to start some crap with windows and hog my resources (not if hijackthis! has anything to say about it).

I don't know about that, being a Mac person myself.

See ya
Steve

 

[viator122]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YngwieJMalmsteen Well, I guess the real problem is transferring my music onto other peoples computers.

I don't think the software that you run on your computer would matter here, it's your friend who would have to run the 3rd party software.

 

[bigshot]

When you register PodWorks for the Mac, it's licensed to run
right on the hard drive of the iPod itself, so no matter what
Mac you're docked to can use the program. I imagine there is
something similar for the PC.

See ya
Steve

 

[earache]

I use Anapod when I just want to drag and drop files. It allows you to just drag the files from your ipod to any other machine. Super easy.

 

[YngwieJMalmsteen]

Yeah, I guess the idea is you would have to have the distibution file for the program either on the ipod or on a flash drive or something. Then you can pretty much use it as a portable hard drive, right? BTW it was not my intention to imply that people who use itunes are suckers or something. I have heard mostly good things about it, I just don't think it is going to fit my needs.

 

[funnytimes]

I'd be using anapod but I dont have money to buy it.

 

[callanish]

I'd recommend Anapod, but with two reservations.

1) The SYNC feature in Anapod isn't the most efficient or complete way to distribute your music. In fact I just plain don't like it.

2) You can only move one song at a time in a playlist. If you want all your playlist's tracks set up in a certain way, clear out your calender for the rest of the week. Plus the fact that when you drag a song in a playlist to the top of the window, it won't scroll. You have to drag, drop, drag, drop just to move a song from the bottom of the list to the top.

Setting that aside, everything else about the program is as easy as it comes. Fast transfers, easy playlist creation, drag and drop in an explorer like setting. it's just that sync feature that gives me sleepless nights. it won't do what I want it to do, which is work!

 

[doomlordis]

winamp with ipod plugin by a mile

 

[bangraman]

I came across (I think it was called) SharePod which you can run directly from the iPod and allows PC's to download from the iPod. Don't have an iPod to hunt for it and test now, perhaps you could google it.

 

[blessingx]

A lot of these allow iPod to computer transferring.

Windows - http://www.versiontracker.com/php/se...ndows&x=15&y=8

Mac - http://www.versiontracker.com/php/se...acosx&x=15&y=8

 

[YngwieJMalmsteen]

Thanks everybody, especially blessingx for the link; that's pretty much what I was looking for. I assumed there would be a consensus which is obviously ipod liberator according to that. Bit of surprise that anapod so uncommon. I'm enough of a nerd that I'll probably check em all out eventually, but it looks like liberator and ephpod are the place to start.

edit: what I ended up using is sharepod. very convenient.

ipod 60g -> pocketdock -> cardas mini -> headroom coda -> beyer 880s (least until I can get some

)