[ale] using ipod touch or iphone with linux

Jim Kinney jim.kinney at gmail.com
Sat May 30 11:14:20 EDT 2009


I have (mostly and very happily) avoided the Apple products for cost
and principle reasons. I'm only able to speak about the experience
associated with the ipod nano my daughter got as a graduation present
(against my outspoken wishes). She was able to load in her ripped CD's
into it but when she got a itunes gift card, she had to use itunes to
load the new music. It promptly recognized that stuff had been loaded
without using itunes and promptly erased it all.

So she loaded in her itunes music download and then tried to reload
her music. It worked. Then she went to use the rest of her itunes gift
card which promptly caused the erasure of ALL of the music, hers and
the itunes downloads.

So then we tried to import her mp3's into itunes so it would stop
deleting everything. It refused the import. So we tried to rip the
CD's again and found out that was not possible.

As a Linux user and freedom zealot, I'm very glad Microsoft came out
on top and not apple. Every time I power on the G4 I get an urge to
goosestep around the room while it boots up.

On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 7:23 PM, Michael Hirsch<mdhirsch at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 3:45 PM, Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 5:27 PM, Michael Hirsch<mdhirsch at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> My daughter is starting to lust for an iPod Touch, and she has the Bat
>>> Mitzvah money to make her dream come true, but I'm hesitant partly
>>> because I don't have a Mac or Windows machine to talk with it.  Does
>>> anyone on the list have experience with Linux and iPod Touch (or
>>> iPhone)?
>>>
>>> I do know that I'll have to jailbreak the iPod, and I can probably use
>>> my work laptop or a friend's mac for that, but after that, how well
>>> does it work with Linux?  Specifically:
>>>  1. I believe that amarok should work with the iPod pretty well for
>>> uploading songs.  right?
>>>  2. How does she install apps without itunes?
>>>  3. Is she going to have to re-joilbreak the iPod every time new
>>> firmware is released?
>>>
>>> I'm sure I've missed some issues.
>>>
>>> All suggestions welcome.
>>
>> Unless you are willing to hear her complain everytime Apple does an
>> update and the jailbreak no longer works and all her music is now gone
>> -
>>
>> avoid the apple products.
>
> Right.  Now remember, she's 14.  Is there anything that comes close to
> the coolness of the iPod touch?  Maybe if there is an Android
> non-phone?
>
>> I got my son this:
>> http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304430
>> for a ton less $$ than an apple product (I think the ipod earbuds cost
>> more than this player!). It works with any music tool I've used. Just
>> drag-n-drop mp3's onto its music folder.
>
> But does it do sms?  Calendar?  email?  web-browsing?  Games?  Skype?
> Music is only a small part of the iPod Touch experience.
>
>> Dig around for some less expensive to loose products on Microcenter.
>> They have media players as well (video and mp3) and they don't have
>> the apple-gotcha-by-the-short-hairs lock in.
>>
>> Oh. That mp3 player can also record voice messages for playback. ipod
>> stuff has no microphone.
>
> iPod touch has mic inputs, though I don't think it has a built in mic.
>
> Michael
>
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-- 
-- 
James P. Kinney III
Actively in pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness



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