Okay okay, I admit it, when my USB port at home was suspect, I loaded up my new iPod at work. Now I’ve got a new computer, I plugged the iPod into it, and fired up iTunes. I didn’t expect this:
No two ways about it, that plain sucks.
I know Apple probably needed to show it was providing a degree of copy protection to get the co-operation to set up the iTunes store, but really, this is stupid. They could have at least allowed you to connect the iPod to a handful of computers.
There is an alternative: a Winamp plugin called ml-iPod which lets you copy tracks to the Pod without that kind of nastiness. I haven’t got it to work yet, mind you — it doesn’t see the device. Rest assured that I’m working on that…
Then you need to work on a better name for your iPod! 🙂
You might already know this, but in case you don’t… to use that winamp plugin, iTunes MUST be uninstalled. I don’t know why, but I had the same problem. Since then I’ve switched to using several programs – ephod (free) and anapod ($25). I love anapod and would pay for it again. Good luck with your music woes.
Interesting. Their own documentation says “The winamp ipod plugin works with or without iTunes installed. It makes no difference.” … but since that didn’t work for me, I may try removing iTunes. If that doesn’t work, I might just re-rip the CDs… they’re all in my house, closeby to the PC, and there’s only about 30 of them on the Pod so far, so it shouldn’t take too long.