Essentially, I’m wondering if it’s possible for video iPods to display non-video formats, or specifically text-heavy files, such as a html or PDF file.
Ideally, I’d like to have a step-by-step text guide for use on the iPod so it can be portable. Is this possible?
The video iPod can display text files. It will not render HTML or PDF files. To put some text files on there:
First enable your iPod for disk use, then copy the files you want to the “Notes” folder on the iPod.
Then eject your iPod, and navigate to Extra -> Notes to view the text files.
Awesome, thanks.
So just to clarify, it can only support .txt files, right? So no real text formatting like bold, or italics, right?
Right. I just tried an RTF file just for kicks, but it won’t even render that. So plain text only.
Excellent, thanks for trying that out.
Ooh, one more question (sorry) - do you know offhand if regular ipods support txt files as well?
I lied - one more.
Does anyone know if navigation is easy? The docs I’d like to put on an iPod would be around 30,000 words. Can you page down quickly, or are you stuck with a line-by-line scroll?
[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]
Do you know offhand if regular ipods support txt files as well?
[/QUOTE]
I’ve got a fourth-gen, non-video iPod with a B&W screen (about two years old.) Yes, txt files are supported. However, you’re stuck with the scroll bar to navigate, at least on my iPod.
[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]
Does anyone know if navigation is easy? The docs I’d like to put on an iPod would be around 30,000 words. Can you page down quickly, or are you stuck with a line-by-line scroll?
[/QUOTE]
I just tried putting a 10,000 word text file onto a video one, and it cut the file off after about 1000 words. 
I’d look for a cheap used PDA on ebay instead of an ipod, for this sort of thing.
[QUOTE=chrisk]
I’d look for a cheap used PDA on ebay instead of an ipod, for this sort of thing.
[/QUOTE]
Sorry I was unclear - I want to provide FAQs as a service to my website’s visitors to view on their iPod.
[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
I just tried putting a 10,000 word text file onto a video one, and it cut the file off after about 1000 words.
[/QUOTE]
Don’t try using the iPod as an e-book reader. Regular iPods, as well as the video iPods, can display the contents of a “.txt” file, but the length is limited. I’ve seen programs for the Macintosh (there are probably similar programs for the PC) that will take a .txt file and split it into iPod-sized chunks to display using the “Notes” menu.
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried]
Don’t try using the iPod as an e-book reader. Regular iPods, as well as the video iPods, can display the contents of a “.txt” file, but the length is limited. I’ve seen programs for the Macintosh (there are probably similar programs for the PC) that will take a .txt file and split it into iPod-sized chunks to display using the “Notes” menu.
[/QUOTE]
There is also a way to link files to make it easy to skip to the next, or even to have a table of contents of sorts. See here for more.