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Just got an iPod Nano, help?

atiariatiari Registered User regular
edited January 2010 in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
Ok so I just got an iPod Nano and am trying to decide how I want to put music on it. At this point I am not planning on buying any songs from iTunes, as I have a rather extensive CD library I'd like to rip instead. Should I get iTunes to do the ripping, or will WMP do the trick? Will one work better than the other?

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Posts

  • Brodo FagginsBrodo Faggins Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Use iTunes, that way, as soon as it's done ripping the mp3s will be available in your library.

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  • atiariatiari Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    joy. I had hoped to avoid itunes but it looks like I have no option. Why does apple's software have to be so intrusive? :(

    atiari on
  • Dark ShroudDark Shroud Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    The real problem is apple keeps blocking other programs from connecting to iPods. See if song bird will work with your Nano. Just don't be quick to update the firmware in the Nano.

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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited January 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • bashbash Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Most modern PMPs can play AAC just fine. AAC is the audio portion of the MPEG-4 ISO standard so tons of players have native support for it. If you insist on ripping to MP3 iTunes' MP3 encoder is pretty good so there's no need to avoid it, only LAME is measurably better at lower bitrates. At higher bitrates you're never going to be able to tell.

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  • atiariatiari Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I just hate apple's software in general. its so intrusive and really not my cup of tea. But, I'll get cracking and hopefully learn to use it well. Thanks for the advice.

    atiari on
  • MblackwellMblackwell Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Well, you'll have basically any options you want if you change the firmware to Rockbox.

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  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Mblackwell wrote: »
    Well, you'll have basically any options you want if you change the firmware to Rockbox.

    Your link says it only works on the nano 1g, which I doubt the OP has.

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  • ryjasenryjasen Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    When I used to actually use my old ipod I used Anapod Explorer from Redchair Software, I found it better then the original inception of itunes because I could just drag and drop. I understand itunes has gotten better but no idea I never use my ipod anymore.

    ryjasen on
  • StarfuckStarfuck Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2010
    MediaMonkey will serve your needs just fine. I spent a lot of time ripping my stuff to FLAC before getting an iPod/Phone product and was not about to invest the time into ripping to ALAC as well, so I use MediaMonkey to transfer/convert music to mp3/ALAC at my convenience.

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  • ArtreusArtreus I'm a wizard And that looks fucked upRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    atiari wrote: »
    I just hate apple's software in general. its so intrusive and really not my cup of tea. But, I'll get cracking and hopefully learn to use it well. Thanks for the advice.

    In what way is it intrusive?

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  • QuantuxQuantux Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Artreus wrote: »
    atiari wrote: »
    I just hate apple's software in general. its so intrusive and really not my cup of tea. But, I'll get cracking and hopefully learn to use it well. Thanks for the advice.

    In what way is it intrusive?

    iTunes installs all kinds of extra stuff. Quicktime, startup programs and services and whatnot. These of course can be tweaked after install and really aren't an issue. I know on Linux, rhythmbox worked quite well with my shuffle (execpt no autofill, only the entire point of having a shuffle) as well as other iPods, and I know Songbird has some iPod plugins going on, but really, iTunes is where it's at for iPods. As Zune is for Zunes (except they don't work with anything else). Here's a good article on iPod's without iTunes, and I'm sure there's more. Google is your friend...

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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited January 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • AzioAzio Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    atiari wrote: »
    joy. I had hoped to avoid itunes but it looks like I have no option.
    You do. Winamp + this plugin will do it just about as well as iTunes, without ruining your pristine computing experience.

    You can also do it with foobar and the ipod manager plugin, if that's your thing

    Come to think of it, there's probably a plugin out there for WMP as well. But I haven't tried any.
    Artreus wrote: »
    atiari wrote: »
    I just hate apple's software in general. its so intrusive and really not my cup of tea. But, I'll get cracking and hopefully learn to use it well. Thanks for the advice.

    In what way is it intrusive?
    Mostly the fact that it installs a half dozen .exe's that just sit there constantly polling for networked Apple computers and [strike]iPods[/strike] Apple Mobile Devices. Even if you specifically configure iTunes not to autostart when the device is connected. (Sometimes, even with this option checked, it starts anyway. All by itself.)

    Azio on
  • Big Red TieBig Red Tie beautiful clydesdale style feet too hot to trotRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Artreus wrote: »
    atiari wrote: »
    I just hate apple's software in general. its so intrusive and really not my cup of tea. But, I'll get cracking and hopefully learn to use it well. Thanks for the advice.

    In what way is it intrusive?

    it knows that when you say no, you really mean yes

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  • ApogeeApogee Lancks In Every Game Ever Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Yeah, I had this issue too and had to go with iTunes for a while. The 5th gen Nano is locked so hard that it won't even charge off of my old wall-charger - what the fuck, Apple.


    Won't even charge off of my car's built in iPod hoookup, which means in just drains constantly when attached. A gay moneygrab by Apple, IMO.

    On another note, the MLPod addon for Winamp probably works now. last I had checked (like 6 months ago) no one had cracked the new firmware yet, but that's probably done now. I'ma go try that tonight...

    Apogee on
  • Cameron_TalleyCameron_Talley Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Apogee wrote: »
    Yeah, I had this issue too and had to go with iTunes for a while. The 5th gen Nano is locked so hard that it won't even charge off of my old wall-charger - what the fuck, Apple.


    Won't even charge off of my car's built in iPod hoookup, which means in just drains constantly when attached. A gay moneygrab by Apple, IMO.

    On another note, the MLPod addon for Winamp probably works now. last I had checked (like 6 months ago) no one had cracked the new firmware yet, but that's probably done now. I'ma go try that tonight...

    I'm guessing your "old wall-charger" and the car charger are Firewire-based accessories. If so, Apple warned manufacturers several generations ago that they would no longer support Firewire charging. Nothing to do with a money-grab, at least not on your end. They eliminated the Firewire chip in iPods, saving space and Money.

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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Odd - I know they're not exactly current, but both my 5G iPod and my sisters 2g iPhone charge fine off of the ancient Firewire wall-charger that came with my old broken 3G iPod.

    KalTorak on
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    IIRC it's just a matter of swapping the positions of two of the contacts in the charging station's iPod/iPhone plug to get the older Firewire-based chargers working for you. There are adapters out there, and since it's such a dirt simple piece of hardware, naturally I've only seen them sold for $50 or more.

    wonderpug on
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