Hi: I'm new to J river and computer music in general. I started a new post because J River apparently? wouldn't let me reply to answers to my previous post.
Is this the advice you're referring to?
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=99623.msg690139#msg690139It would probably be best to start a separate thread if you want detailed help with some kind of scheme to do this.
If this is the reference, then I think you've misunderstood the comment. glynor isn't JRiver and he was offering a suggestion not a direction.
His advice in that post is still relevant to your situation and I can't really offer much better with regard to selection of format.
I ripped a CD and it automatically ripped it as an ape file. I was able to convert this to a flac file.
Good stuff. You've got file conversion sorted.
* Can I set MC up so that it automatically rips flac [?]
Yep - Tools>Options>Encoding
Ripping options are found in Tools>Options>CD, DVD & BD
The options on top of the default are outside how I normally work? Have you tried searching Interact? What did the Wiki turn up for you?
* Another question I have is about the ape files. The iPhone won't play them according to what I read. Is there a cell phone that will play them and if so what is the quality of the playback. I understand ape is lossless so I'm curious how it stacks up next to uncompressed flac and alac files.
Don't know. What does an internet search with the relevant keywords turn up?
But really, glynor's advice around a high quality compressed format for your phone is sensible to me (that's what I do).
* I'm a little unclear as to what is the best way to segregate my music. Right now I want my laptop to rip and play the flac files by default. I also want to store alac files somewhere for downloading to my iPhone and as back up to the music on my iPhone. There was a post that went into this on one of the answers in my first post but I don't have time right now to analyze it.
When you've had time to analyse the advice, come back and ask a directed question. It's very difficult to make guesses as to what you're after. Put the effort in to describe your problem clearly and concisely and (from experience) you should get the help you're after.