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[ek654389]

I upgraded to 2.0.2 without thinking and now MC bricks the ipod part of the phone.  Since Apple deems it appropriate to hide previous firmware files, making it (almost) impossible to go back.... I'm hoping MC will support it soon.

BTW:  I'm happy to beta-test.

[Matt]

Apple is actively trying to lock other software vendors out with unnecessary encryption keys.

[BartMan01]

Just a thought:

I know other software avoids messing with the iPod/iPhone devices by pushing the data in to iTunes and allowing it to control the syncing.  MS has also severely locked out the Zune.  While the work JRiver does to keep the iPod sync working properly is impressive and admirable, have you ever considered changing your approach to the issue and using MC12 to sync data (tracks and play lists) in to (and out of) iTunes or MS Media Player to then allow them to sync to the locked down devices?  I understand it is not the most ideal solution to syncing, but it would require less overall maintenance once done - freeing up your resources to work on other features.

[Matt]

Well, Windows Media Player can't sync to the Zune either.  It's a strange world.

[topher2041]

I had the same problem with 2.01. Has it ever work with the iTouch since the 2.0 update?

[glynor]

I've played with this quite a bit and described my method and suggestions over here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=47343.msg326700#msg326700

I will say this:  It sucks that Apple and Microsoft and everyone seem to want to play their stupid games.  I wish they didn't, and/or I wish there were a viable alternative.  Perhaps Android will one-day be one, but for now it looks like it might be more of a Windows Mobile killer than a iPod/Zune/iPhone competitor.  However, this trend is showing no signs changing in the future.  Even when JRiver does "get it" and breaks their way in, they're going to just get locked out again come this time next year.

For a near term (and long term) standby solution, make MC's Generic Handheld system (syncing to a folder on your hard drive) able to fully emulate an iPod/iPhone/Zune/whatever in every way:

1. Stop locking down the Generic Handheld conversion functions.  Allow conversion to iPod/iPhone/Zune/whatever compatible video formats when syncing to a folder on a hard drive.

2. Support bookmarking of podcasts and audiobooks on unsupported iPods somehow. If this involves wiping and re-programming the iTunes database every time I sync (in order to use it as an "external sync tool") then so be it.  They don't seem to "break" this as often.  I have tools on OSX that muck with the database that have worked for many, many versions.

3. Allow us to set a size limit on generic handhelds.

If these three things were done, it would be a HUGE help in allowing us to use our devices while JRiver does get real support figured out.  It would also give us confidence that we will have an interim crutch if Apple re-breaks our support again with some future firmware update.  The alternative is people considering just bailing on the whole thing and going back to iTunes.

[glynor]

I had the same problem with 2.01. Has it ever work with the iTouch since the 2.0 update?

No.  Read the thread on the Handhelds board.  Everything that applies to the phone applies to the touch.  They're almost identical hardware.

[Qythyx]

Thinking about BartMan1's suggestion, I was wondering how hard it would be to use the iTunes API to sync through it. I think if the approach was to sync the MC contents to iTunes and then tell iTunes to sync to the iPod/iTouch/iPhone it might not be that difficult. The big disadvantage is that iTunes would still need to be installed, but the big advantage is that it should be much easier to support future iPod devices.

If J River is not intested in trying this I might give it a shot. What do you think J River, would you ever consider this approach?

BTW, the iTunes COM SDK can be downloaded from http://developer.apple.com/sdk/itunescomsdk.html.

[glynor]

I also wanted to mention that, regarding the timeline question (the original point of this thread) Jim has publicly stated:

1. MC12 is done.  iPhone 2.0 support will have to wait for the next version.

2. MC13 is under development.  First builds may be available "within a month or so" (give-or-take and with no major intervening crisis).

I imagine the answer to the root question of "when" is: When We Figure It Out.

Personally, I think that 2 years of nearly weekly "free" update releases of MC12 (including support of up-to-and-including the last iPod/iPhone revision) is more than worth it.  They can ring the cash register again now if they wanna.  They've earned it.  (And not saying everyone else doesn't agree or does or should or anything.  Just saying that's how I feel.)

[BartMan01]

The alternative is people considering just bailing on the whole thing and going back to iTunes.

I am already half way there since I got my iPod Touch and my wife got her iPhone and MacBook Air.

There is NO WAY that I could see anything taking the place of MC12 (or 13 when it comes out) for overall management of my library, but I have moved all of my podcast management and syncing duties over to iTunes on both my desktop and on my wife's MacBook.  Keeping the two libraries 'in sync' is a pain, so I just do a full wipe/refresh of iTunes every time I have major changes to the library.  I use playlist export/imports to manually transfer the ratings from MC12 to iTunes and all of my synced playlists are smart lists so I don't have to rebuild them each refresh.  I do lose the playcount stuff in the process, but I can live with that for now.
 
On my wife's MacBook she doesn't use ratings, but she does have some manual playlists to limit what goes to her phone and nano so I don't mess with the full refresh there and just manually (or with AppleScript) clean up the issues.

I plan on buying the next Nehalm based Mac-Pro when they come out (sometime between now and June of next year).  At that point if there is still no easy way of dealing with the sync issues I will probably use MC12/13 to sync to a 'portable' shared drive and write (or adapt) some custom AppleScript processes to pretty much automate syncing data between MC12 and iTunes as much as is possible.

[cracksloth]

Perhaps an easier solution would be to create a native iPhone app that will connect/sync to a network MC library.  That way, synchronization can be done wirelessly and the app will just store media files directly to the iPhone using a data structure that it recognizes.  On the server computer, the user could just make "sync profiles" that the client iPhone can connect to.  I admit that my understanding of the iPhone may be naive so someone correct me if I'm totally off base.

[raldo]

Resistance Is Futile...

[JimH]

Resistance Is Futile...

Are you talking to His Jobness or to me?

[raldo]

Are you talking to His Jobness or to me?

I was quoting the Apple mission statement..

[cracksloth]

anyone game for a project like this?  i have managed to be able to sync all other parts of my iphone wirelessly, just not media.  it would be extremely cool to have this feature and would put MC on a level far above any other media player.  putting something like this in the apple appstore is pretty good marketing.