# i'M an iPod iDiot

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 3, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235 "2006-08-03T19:07:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235/1 "2006-08-03T19:07:48Z")

</div>

I have an iPod that currently synchs with my home PC. I also hook it up with my work laptop. Both machines have mostly the same music though there are some minor differences and one machine has more videos than the other.  
I would like to be able to synch the music on my iPod on both machines without losing anything (videos I loaded at home disappear when I synch at work). Is there any way to do this?  
Also, there are songs I have bought from Yahoo music or MSN that cannot be played on iTunes. Is there an easy way to convert them?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235/2 "2006-08-03T19:21:46Z")

</div>

As a fairly cheesy form of anti-piracy, iTunes will only allow you to sync your iPod to 1 music library. Furthermore, it will only allow transfer of songs TO the iPod and not FROM the iPod.

I’d suggest using a program like [SharePod](http://www.sturm.net.nz/website.php?Section=iPod+Programs&Page=SharePod) or [EphPod](http://www.ephpod.com/), both of which allow this functionality.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235/3 "2006-08-03T19:24:08Z")

</div>

> [@erie774](#):
>
> Also, there are songs I have bought from Yahoo music or MSN that cannot be played on iTunes. Is there an easy way to convert them?

Unfortunately, no. If the songs are DRM’d (copy protected) they can only be played by the “approved” player. Unfortunately, the current breakdown is iPod+iTunes and EverythingElse. The workaround here is to burn the songs to a CD if that’s allowed. Then the CD can be imported into iTunes just like any other. In theory, you lose a little quality with this procedure, but it’s not much. Mostly, you lose blank CDs!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235/4 "2006-08-03T19:44:45Z")

</div>

As a related question, hopw many times can I unauthorize one computer and authorize another? I ask because I have had to reinstall Xp and/or reformat about three times since I got my iPod, and have had to do that every time, and am worreid that at some point, it will say ‘limit reached, you now have a $400 paper-weight.’

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-an-ipod-idiot/367235/5 "2006-08-03T20:40:06Z")

</div>

Thanks for the info. I was afraid that you were going to say that.

crap