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iPod: Frequently Asked Questions

Is iPod compatible with my computer?
How do I tell which iPod I have?
What music (jukebox) software do I need on my computer to use iPod?
How do I transfer music between my computer and iPod?
I have a computer at home and one at work.
Can I update more than one iPod with my computer?
I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
Can I use my existing iPod for Mac on a PC, or my iPod for Windows on a Mac?
Can I use iPod while running, or doing other activities? Will my music skip?
How does iPod provide skip protection?

Question: Is iPod compatible with my computer?
Answer: iPod is compatible with Macintosh computers running Mac OS X and PCs running Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

Question: How do I tell which iPod I have?
Answer: It's easy to see which iPod model you have. Some of the things you can do include checking if it has a scroll wheel, a touch wheel, or a Click Wheel and checking the size of its hard drive. See Identifying different iPod models for more details.

Question: What music (jukebox) software do I need on my computer to use iPod?
Answer: iPod comes with iTunes for Macintosh and iTunes for Windows.
iPod is fully integrated with iTunes. iTunes allows you to "rip" tracks from CDs into MP3 or AAC format and organize your music library by creating playlists. And every time you plug iPod into your computer, your music library--complete with playlists--is automatically transferred over FireWire or USB 2.0. See the iTunes website for upgrades to iTunes.

Question: How do I transfer music between my computer and iPod?
Answer: iPod offers multiple ways to transfer music from your computer. You can set the transfer mode in iTunes 7 or later by selecting the iPod icon in the source pane to reveal the iPod settings. The following modes can be configured on the iPod:

Automatically update all songs and playlists. This is the default mode, in which your entire music library, including playlists, is automatically synced to your iPod. If the music library on your computer exceeds the iPod storage capacity, iTunes will offer to choose a selection of songs to sync to iPod.
Automatically update selected playlists. With this option, iTunes automatically copies only the playlists you have selected to iPod when you connect it to the computer. This option can be selected by accessing the Music tab of the iPod settings.
Manually manage music. You can also choose to transfer music to iPod manually. This allows you to drag and drop individual songs and playlists from iTunes to iPod. You can find this option by accessing the Summmary tab of the iPod settings.

Question:I have a computer at home and one at work. Can I update my iPod music collection from more than one computer?
Answer: Yes. When you first connect iPod to your computer, iPod recognizes that computer as its "home" computer. Each time you connect, iPod automatically downloads the music library stored on it. When you connect iPod to a different computer, iTunes will inform you that iPod is linked to a different iTunes library and will ask whether you wish to erase iPod's contents and sync with the new computer's library. If you will be connecting to multiple computers frequently, configure your iPod to manually manage music. This will allow you to selectively drag songs, albums, or playlists from the second computer to your iPod without compromising the existing music.

Synchronization generally occurs only in one direction, from your computer to your iPod. This means you typically cannot transfer music, automatically or manually, from your iPod to a computer, and you cannot use iPod to copy a music library from one computer to another. An exception to this is the transfer purchases feature which allows you to restore purchased iTunes content to your computer from your iPod. Additionally, if you legally are allowed to copy music or other media files, you can configure your iPod as a storage drive to move media files.

Question: Can I update more than one iPod with my computer?
Answer: Yes. Each iPod communicates a unique device identification number to your computer, allowing you to take advantage of automatic music transfers to your iPod even if you share a computer with another iPod user. You can choose to automatically update your entire music collection on multiple iPod players or choose to update selected playlists, allowing you to transfer custom playlists to individual iPod players.

Question: I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
Answer: No, not at the same time. iPod is configured for either Mac or PC. You can use iTunes 7 or later to restore iPod to work with a Mac or a PC. See "Restoring iPod to factory settings" for more information. Note: Using the iPod for Mac on a PC, or using the iPod for Windows on a Mac, is not supported by Apple. FAT32 is the format used by Windows, and while some FAT32 iPod models may work with your Mac, Apple only supports using the iPod shuffle in FAT32 format on Mac.

Question: Can I use an iPod formatted for Mac on a PC, or an iPod formatted for Windows on a Mac?
Answer: It is not possible to use an iPod formatted for Mac with Windows. This is because Windows does not support the HFS Plus file system and therefore will not see the drive. When you connect an iPod formatted for Mac to your PC, iTunes will prompt you to restore the iPod. iTunes will allow you to use an iPod formatted for Windows on a Mac; however, Apple currently only supports using the iPod shuffle in FAT32 format on Mac. For more information see the iPod shuffle Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Question: Can I use iPod while running, or doing other activities? Will my music skip?
Answer: iPod was designed for people with an active lifestyle. It is compact and lightweight enough to take with you wherever you go. It was designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand or to be slipped into a pocket or purse for easy transport. iPod offers up to 20 minutes of skip protection — twice that of other hard drive-based MP3 players on the market — so you can enjoy outdoor athletic activities without missing a beat.

Question: How does iPod provide skip protection?
Answer: In addition to the hard drive, iPod has a memory cache. It is made up of solid-state memory, meaning that it has no mechanical or moving parts, so it is not affected by movement of the device. iPod skip protection works by preloading up to 25 minutes of music to the cache at a time. iPod plays music from the memory cache rather than the hard drive, so even rigorous activities won't cause music to skip.

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