Me and my first-world problems.

[featherynscale]

First off, I have re-done my entire livejournal in giant squid. No reason, I just like giant squid. I thought you should know.

Second, when we got home last night, triadruid and I discovered that the toilet in the downstairs bathroom had overflowethed its cup, and the entire bathroom was in standing water. Luckily, zylch, who was there for birthday celebrations, captained a recovery effort that was both very effective and mildly disgusting. A dehumidifier was purchased, and the toilet was stopped from running by the method of turning off the water to the tank, so the immediate crisis has been overcome. I'm thinking of tearing the toilet and sink cabinet out of that bathroom and converting it to a closet. zylch was also instrumental in the planning of that project, so that I feel like it might be doable, if she and diermuid (the other master of toilets in our acquaintance) would assist.

Having solved the toilet problem to the best of our ability, we washed up and went out for sushi, which seemed like the only logical response. The sushi was good enough to largely make up for the horror of the previous hour, so all was well.

Then, kittenpants, triadruid and I went to MicroCenter, so that she could buy him a birthday present and both of us early Yule gifts. Unfortunately, we had taken so long at the toilet problem and the sushi that we really didn't have time to dig into anything. I, being a simple creature and easily distracted by shiny gadgetry, got an iPod. triadruid's gifts are still under consideration. I'm lobbying for him to upgrade his PC.

And then! When we got home, I went to download iTunes so that I could use that shiny new iPod, and discovered that technology has moved on and left me behind. Any version of iTunes new enough to work with the iPod that I got is also new enough that it will not install on my Windows 2000 box. It checks the operating system before installing, and then shuts down. I can get iTunes 7.3.2 for the 2000 box, but the iPod wants at least 7.4. I'm hoping one of you clever individuals knows a way around this problem, because I'm not keen on installing an OS that I don't want just so I can use the toy that I do want. kittenpants has the proper iTunes installed on her XP laptop, but was of the opinion that I wouldn't be able to just use that because the program was keyed to work with only one iPod. I don't know if that's true, having never messed with any of this Apple stuff, and didn't have time to test it last night, so input on that is welcomed also.

Comments

[celtic-elk.livejournal.com]

iTunes *will* work with multiple iPods, but if you want to have different contents on each, the situation becomes a little more complicated. I usually go to iLounge for my iPod info needs, so maybe you can find some additional info and tutorials there. What model did you get?

[celtic-elk.livejournal.com]

Ack! Friday afternoon brain causes tag mismatch.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That site answered at least one question already, and I'll hit it again later for more information.

She got me a classic 80 gig, which should hold more music than I will ever personally own. Storage-based glee!!

[celtic-elk.livejournal.com]

You're probably right - I have a 60-gig from the previous generation, and I thought that I was going to run over my storage limit, but I'm finding that I'm holding pretty steady at about 5 gigs of free space. To be fair, I no longer have an eMusic acct that adds a gig of music ever 2-3 months, and I've been actively deleting things that I know I never ever listen to (movie scores, for example), but I'm no longer feeling the pressure to run out and buy a 160-gig classic, or even an 80-gig classic. Although the new display is *very* pretty. =)

[chronarchy.livejournal.com]

I love the theme. Tentacles!

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

I offer as consolation the following.

[kittenpants.livejournal.com]

In fairness, what I said was that I didn't know if it would work, or if it might want to work with only one iPod, but that I was too tired to get up and research the answer, and that it would have to wait until morning.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting you to do any research on my behalf, just thought that you probably knew more about the system than I did, since you've been playing with it for a bit. (I'm sort of perplexed by the way you say that -- I don't ever expect anybody else to look something up for me if I ask them a question and they don't know the answer, but you often respond to me as if that's what you think I want. I never know what to say to that.)

As it turns out, it seems that the single iTunes installation will work with more than one iPod, but that in order to make that happen, you have to turn off the autosync feature. I don't know if you're using that capability or not. More information here (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/faqs/answers/is-it-possible-to-use-multiple-ipods-on-the-same-computer/), if you're interested.

[karinablack.livejournal.com]

Mmm... squid..

[auraseer.livejournal.com]

You can use the laptop for both your iPods. All you need to do is set up a second Windows login. iTunes will maintain a separate music library for each username.

[celtic-elk.livejournal.com]

That might make it a little complicated if she or kittenpants buys something from iTunes and they both want to have it on their respective iPods, though. Not entirely sure. Need more research. =)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

It looks like you can use it for both iPods on the same account, and you just have to either a)load all the same content on to both iPods or b)disable some sort of auto-sync feature and just tell it what to load from where. I say this with all the confidence of someone who has never so much as looked at the iTunes/iPod interface. :)

[auraseer.livejournal.com]

c) Hold SHIFT when opening iTunes. It will then prompt you to choose a library file, or create a new one. You can then have independent libraries "kittenpants.itl" and "featherynscale.itl" which share all, some, or none of their songs.

I just now learned of this option, when I came across this Apple help page.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Eh he. kittenpants says that works a charm. Excellent. Thank you for discovering that!

[auraseer.livejournal.com]

I think that is not a problem. Once the file is on disk, you should be able to add it to the other library just as you would any other shared file.

Apple's DRM system ("FairPlay") authorizes based on a machine key. My understanding is that the key store is global for the machine, not specific to the logged-in user. If you purchase iTunes music via my PC, I can then play it on my PC and any iPod I plug in.

You can change which machines are allowed to play your purchased music, in iTunes, by going to the "Store->Authorize Computer" and "Store->Deauthorize Computer" menu items.

[celtic-elk.livejournal.com]

Ah. I hadn't known that the key was machine-global. Handy information to have. And why are *you* doing reference for *me*, anyway? =P

[capriciouslass.livejournal.com]

Yes, in fact, you're on the right track from the comments I see so far on the iPod issue. The OCP and I each have our own sets of music that we would prefer, but we coexist on the one installation of iTunes on my computer (especially now that it's working again! Bad Quicktime!)

iPod

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

There are Linux programs (amarok, gtkpod, others using libgpod underneath) that talk to iPods. So just upgrade your Win2K box to Linux! ;-)

Or... it may be possible to run some of those programs on Win2K, but my cursory googling says it's not a very simple thing yet.

Re: iPod

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

Another idea, depending on which iPod you bought:
Install Rockbox firmware on the iPod, and use simple file copying to put music on it.

Re: iPod

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

That's very clever. Looks like it won't run the iPod I have yet, though.

Re: iPod

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Have we reached the phase of development in which a non-specialist like myself can have both a functional Linux box and a full-time job outside the home? I love the idea of switching, but every time I check in, it seems like it's still too much time investment for me. It's been a year since the last time I thought about it, though.

Re: iPod

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

I'm probably the wrong one to ask, but I think so. Ubuntu and others have made things pretty easy these days. (I make things harder on myself by refusing to use proprietary device drivers.) I know multiple non-sysadmin types who run Ubuntu just as they'd run Windows.

Like most things, the hardest part is getting started, of course.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

"first-world problems" - I like that, very poetic.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of it, myself. It's a complaint served with a side of FUCKING PERSPECTIVE. :)

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

I didn't read all your comments, but WinAmp will work with iPods, and it's all I run on my Win2k box.

[malvito.livejournal.com]

Giant Squid is cool. It always reminds me of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, still one of my favorite Disney movies.

[starrthinks.livejournal.com]

Whoohoo, maybe we can learn together! I just got on board with the whole Ipod thing. I'm loving it.

Apples and toilets.

[drummel.livejournal.com]

I'm new to this Apple stuff as well, purchasing a MacBook Last week. Working with a new OS is something I'm still struggling a bit with; but so far I havn't had an problems and no error messages. I couldn't help but laugh you named zylch and diermuid as the toilet masters; it brought back memories of I believe their first toilet to conquer while helping a Gaia member fix up her house. It was a proud accomplishment that day.