Where the hell does my iPhone get off?

The problem, from Apple's side, is that you would get orphaned music/files on the portable device.

It would double the amount of work for people, because they'd have to manage two separate music libraries.

Of course, if you want to do that work, they shouldn't stop you from doing so. You ought to be able to manage the music on your iPhone independently if you wish.

But it threatens to take my iPhone music away!~

I think it's because the basic premise of the iTunes/iPhone link is that they are mirrors of each other. You can add or delete from either device, but they always want to get back into sync.

I can think of a few reasons why they might want it that way, but one thing probably has to do with the original design from back when iPods were much simpler devices.

Originally I don't think the iPod's had the ability to delete anything. Their operating system was too simple, so having the iPod mirror anything that was on iTunes was the simple solution for Apple to use with limited Operating System capacity on the iPod. Now however, iPods and iPhones are essentially hand-held computers complete with full operating systems and file control mechanisms (you can buy apps for the iPod which allow wireless file sharing etc).

Another reason they may be retaining this "mirror" design is for simplicity for people who don't understand their iPod/iPhone at all (like my parents). They just plug it in and it does all the work for them. All Mom has to do is use iTunes like she normally does and the iPod is just a black box which magically gives her the same content as her iTunes.

Doesn't it give you a prompt during the sync which allows you to keep something on the iPhone (or copy it back to iTunes)? I think mine does.

Maybe there is an option in preferences which controls this? I'm not sure.

Well, damn their black hearts!!!


A goddam little box with blinkenlightzen ordering me around!!!

Yes, it gives the prompt....but prior to that it tells me I cannot have anything on the iphone that is not also present on itunes.

Pushy little bugger isn't it. Oh well, think of it as practice for future when we will all be told what to do by our benevolent masters, the machines

It sounds like it will delete it from the iphone somehow....

That's not entirely encouraging.

It will. "Synchronize" in this case means "make an exact replica". If the music is removed from your master library, then it will not be present in the new replica.

Edit: Although it sounds like they give you a chance to copy it back if you accidentally delete something.

Embrace the dark side Luke, it's easier that way...

You all are being far too kind...

The truth is that dlowan doesn't really own the iphone that she dropped however many hundreds of dollars on. In spite of happily taking her money, Apple insists on maintaining near complete control of her phone with policies that border on fascism.

They not only insist that she use their iTunes software (and none other) with the set of arbitrary policies that suits them... they also decide which applications she can run without offending the sensibilities they have given her.

Of course when there is an evil empire, there is a rebel alliance. In this case they came up with a solution which is affectionately called "jailbreaking" (which is not that risky or difficult).

Jailbreaking

If you do this you can ditch iTunes altogether... or you can use it in combination with any other way you want to manage content on your iPhone.

BTW the jailbreakers have put Flash players on the iPod meaning you can play movies on sites other than youtube. This is technically easy to do, Apple keeps you from doing it because they are afraid that with the ability to play videos you might see something bad.

Yes....I am wondering how reliable that is.

Interesting....

Right now I am not fussed by that particular "fascism"...but I'll have a look at the jail break site.

i manage files manually on my ipods, i have lots of music on them that isn't in my itunes folder, it was when i added it, but as soon as i move it to my ipod i remove it from itunes and if i want to keep it i move it to a external drive or just delete it all together, the music only goes away when i remove it from the ipod

I have an iphone....is it the same?

it should work the same, when i plug in my ipod, itunes opens

on the top of the main page it says ipod, shows a picture of my ipod, gives it's name, capacity, software version, serial number and format

in a grey section in the middle of the page is information about software updates

in the bottom sections are options

i have checked "open itunes when ipod is connected" and "manually manage music and videos"

i can even drag some music and folders straight from files not in itunes, sometimes i'm told that the file must be imported from itunes, but after importing i can remove the file from itunes and it's still in my ipod until i remove, not matter how many times i connect or disconnect my ipod from itunes

i have a 3rd and 4th generation ipod, so they're are effectively the newest models, the fourth coming out at the same time as the itouch and iphone

Cool...thanks.

You tell me. You're the expert in sexualized behavior.