Tips for Making iPods and iPhones Work Seamlessly with Windows
20 December 2007How many people are getting an iPhone or an iPod from a loved one this holiday season? Thousands, probably, all of whom are looking forward to enjoying music, photos and movies all day while barely acknowledging their family members at the dinner table.
Unfortunately, for those using Windows XP and Vista computers, managing music and video content is not as straightforward as they might think. Unlike consumers using Apple’s Mac OS X, which includes integrated software that simplifies digital media content like home videos, photos, calendars and contacts, Windows users need to learn some basic skills to make managing digital content on the popular devices easier.
“Apple’s iPhone and the latest generation of iPods have delivered enormous power and simplicity to the average consumer, but the technology is still complicated and usability is not 100% intuitive, especially for Windows users,” said Dave Taylor, SupportSpace committee member specializing in Macintosh and handheld technologies, editorial director of AskDaveTaylor.com and author of 20 business and technical books. “The key for holiday shoppers who want to avoid holiday frustration is to gain key bits of knowledge so they can enjoy their fabulous new tech toys.”
Taylor says the following are unseen obstacles for Windows users:
1. Audio files are in different formats; Apple iPods prefer MP3 and AAC formatted music, but Windows systems default to Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. Windows users who have a library of music will need to convert the files from WMA to MP3. A hint for major online music companies to offer some sort of free converter software?
2. Windows Media Player and Apple’s iTunes compete for digital files. Users manage all content through iTunes. Without it, copying music on to an iPod or iPhone is not possible, and if iTunes and Windows Media player “compete” for the data, users are in for hours of frustration. Once users learn to use iTunes, which they must install on their computer to get the iPod or iPhone to work properly, they can then manage audio and video content on their computer and have it automatically sync with their handheld device.
3. Adding movie files is complicated by digital rights management and different formats. The constraining digital rights management policy of iTunes software and different video file formats can be difficult to work around and understand.
4. Loading photos is not plug-and-play. For Windows users, managing photos can be difficult because there is no default photo application for Windows that is tightly integrated into iTunes. For Mac OS X users, iPhoto and iMovie functionality is seamlessly integrated into iTunes.
Tips for iPhone and iPod Windows Users
1. Be sure to download the latest iTunes software from Apple. Particularly for Windows Vista users, it is critical to install the latest version of iTunes (Version 7.2 or later).
2. Rip audio CDs in the proper format. Use iTunes to burn audio CDs, or if users want to use Windows Media Player, they must change its settings to create MP3 files, not WMA files.
3. Understand issues about copying DVD movies to iPods and iPhones. Going to the iTunes Store to repurchase and download movies already owned on DVD is the legal way of getting the content onto iPods and iPhones. Copying DVD movies onto the iPod or iPhone is not legal, of course, but can be done easily by purchasing third-party software that circumvents DVD encoding systems. But you didn’t hear that from us.
4. Carefully manage content between multiple computers: iPods and iPhones “pair” to a single computer and will not allow users to copy digital content purchased at the iTunes store between multiple computers. It is important users carefully think through which of their computers should be paired with the device and “de-authorize” computers that won’t be used any longer.
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