Topic: Touch -- A Frantic Plea (Read 5790 times)

Doof · « **on:** January 02, 2008, 10:45:15 am »

I know this is mostly dependent on Apple, but I'm begging you... as soon as it is technically feasible, can you please, please, please add in support for the iPod Touch? I just bought one and spent countless hours cursing out iTunes trying to get it to sync up only the music I wanted (what a carpal-tunnel inducing chore that was). I still have no idea how to get iTunes to put photos on this thing. After seeing what a simple task it was putting music on my fiancee's Shuffle, I'm really having a hard time forcing myself to use this steaming pile called iTunes.

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2008, 10:49:30 am »

Apple's said they will open up the Touch a little to developers. We're going to wait and see what they do.

If we did anything now, it could all be a waste if they could changed their mind.

rjm · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2008, 10:57:34 am »

Doof, did you see this thread? http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=44122.0

It is easy to sync photos, provided they under one folder. Go to your device and select the photos tab. Tell it to sync photos and select the root folder for your photos.

With regard to selecting music, I found the best method is to export the MC playlist that you use for iPod syncing as an M3U and then import this into iTunes. In the music sync tab tell iTunes to sync to this imported playlist. That's it.

Doof · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2008, 11:00:32 am »

The iPod Touch is really sweet. I find it hard to believe that the same company who made it is the same one that's responsible for inflicting iTunes on humanity. :p

Doof · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2008, 08:31:36 am »

So in all seriousness... can I expect the Touch to be supported by MC anytime soon or at all? I'm seriously contemplating taking it back and buying something different. That's how much I hate iTunes.

Matt · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2008, 08:37:50 am »

Quote from: Doof on January 10, 2008, 08:31:36 am

So in all seriousness... can I expect the Touch to be supported by MC anytime soon or at all? I'm seriously contemplating taking it back and buying something different. That's how much I hate iTunes.

We'd like to do it, but Apple went out of their way to make it hard. If we could easily see it as a drive, we'd already support it.

Any tips on accessing the file system on it?

Doof · « **Reply #6 on:** January 10, 2008, 09:47:05 am »

What reading I've done isn't encouraging. It can be done, but it requires jailbreaking the ipod, and installing an SSH and TFTP client and getting yourself a rainstick and chicken's feet.

I just didn't know if you guys knew something that we don't. I've read a few posts where Jim says something to the effect of "We think it's possible now" and some other vague statements that made me wonder if you guys had actually figured out how to access it but were concerned that a future firmware update would break the connectivity or something. If that's the case, I'll gladly never update the firmware if it means I can use MC to sync to it.

I thought I had a workflow figured out that would make it useable. I have an iPod Touch, and my fiancee has a Shuffle. Her Shuffle works great under MC. My workflow gets the job done on the Touch. Then she plugged her Shuffle in to charge and iTunes decided, all on its own, to just erase everything on her Shuffle. I changed settings so that it wouldn't do it again, ejected her Shuffle, plugged it back in and started copying files from MC to her Shuffle. And iTunes decided it just had to fire up and mount her iPod, which caused the transfer in MC to stop, and then iTunes once again helpfully erased everything from her iPod.

It's really starting to feel like I need to maintain two seperate libraries on two seperate computers, or abandon using MC for this purpose at all, all because of iTunes.

This, plus the fact that the Touch seems to be fond of randomly giving up on playing a song and skipping to the next one has me wondering if I shouldn't trade it in and get a Zune. This whole experience has really soured me on the "magic" of the iPod.

Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** January 10, 2008, 09:57:43 am »

Quote from: Doof on January 10, 2008, 09:47:05 am

...if I shouldn't trade it in and get a Zune.

Well, that's the second most locked-down device.

Music is going DRM-free, devices are going the other way.

I say vote with your wallet.

benn600 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 10, 2008, 10:46:02 am »

Hold everything everyone! Monday (14th) is Macworld. There is supposedly going to be big, big stuff. They released their 8-core Macs early because they need the time for the big stuff.

I say wait until Monday and then we'll see.

Believe me: I have iPhone and it hardly ever gets synced because iTunes is junk and I can't even get it to work half the time. I get errors all the time and endless syncing! Never finishing!

Although if MC started syncing content I'm gonna want data, too (contacts, calendar, etc.)

bartolomesoriano · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:01:04 am »

Quote from: Matt on January 10, 2008, 08:37:50 am

We'd like to do it, but Apple went out of their way to make it hard. If we could easily see it as a drive, we'd already support it.

Any tips on accessing the file system on it?

I have seen non-Apple apps can copy music, videos, photos, etc. from the iPod Touch and the iPhone back to the PC, supporting all released iPod software versions (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3). If these kinds of apps can do this, why can't MC? I apologize if I am over-simplifying what is required.

JimH · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:07:56 am »

Quote from: bsoriano on January 23, 2008, 10:01:04 am

I have seen non-Apple apps can copy music, videos, photos, etc. from the iPod Touch and the iPhone back to the PC, supporting all released iPod software versions (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3).

Given that Apple has changed the firmware and the database three times in less than three months, we're going to let other people spin their wheels (for now). I believe that users may eventually convince Apple that trying to shut out third parties is the wrong decision.

Doof · « **Reply #11 on:** February 01, 2008, 03:57:12 pm »

I think maybe we ought to rename this thread?

JimH · « **Reply #12 on:** February 01, 2008, 04:28:30 pm »

I got rid of the offending posts.

Doof · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2008, 10:19:35 am »

Quote from: JimH on February 01, 2008, 04:28:30 pm

I got rid of the offending posts.

Thanks, Jim.

I was surfing around and found this http://www.wideanglesoftware.com/touchcopy/index.html. It's a program called TouchCopy that can be used to copy data files, as well as music, videos, and pictures to an iPod Touch. So it does seem to be possible.

benn600 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2008, 11:50:50 pm »

Oooo, so Touch support in next version? lol

I'm sure the SDK for iPhone (probably released for Touch, too) will probably make a huge difference. At that point, J River will have MC for iPhone. They probably already have a fully working version for iPhone. The good thing about MC is that most of the features of it I would agree with. In other words, I don't see many (if any) things that are just plain stupid. Of course I try to fill my computers with only the finest programs...often freeware/open-source.

What if J River created other apps, too? Just like iPhone, Apple should make iHouse and iCar. I still wonder if J River would ever make other apps? Ever considered it? Of course to a certain extent, a program could be written to take over Windows and be the sole interface--we're talking inside MC you'd have a web browser, word processor, etc.

lOth · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2008, 06:02:54 pm »

Quote from: Doof on February 04, 2008, 10:19:35 am

Thanks, Jim.

I was surfing around and found this http://www.wideanglesoftware.com/touchcopy/index.html. It's a program called TouchCopy that can be used to copy data files, as well as music, videos, and pictures to an iPod Touch. So it does seem to be possible.

I also read on the ilounge forum that Mediamonkey manages to transfer music (just music apparently) to the iPod Touch.

Also read this today:
Apple reaching out to iPhone/iPod touch hackers?

Have pity, I had to re-install itunes to use my brand new 32gb iPod Touch...

benn600 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2008, 10:31:04 pm »

I think the key to solving this is that Apple finally allows custom ringtones without artificially restricting it. Remember way back when people figured out how to use ringtones? And then they released an update that stopped people from being able to sync them? Well, a further update allowed them again! Seems like they are sort of in the middle of trying to stay on good terms with the industries while pleasing customers as much as they can in an Apple way.

JimH · « **Reply #17 on:** February 24, 2008, 08:31:01 pm »

doof,
Remember the Jimminy Cricket song? "A dream is a wish your heart makes", etc.

Swellguy has your number.

Just between us...

Doof · « **Reply #18 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:19:27 pm »

lOth · « **Reply #19 on:** February 26, 2008, 04:42:37 pm »

firmware 1.1.4 out today, we can hope the SDK will be out soon? ?

benn600 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 26, 2008, 08:28:07 pm »

Any news on the changes and updates? I'm downloading it right now with 8 minutes remaining. It's a huge download! They always are!

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