[MW Forums]

On Wednesday MacCentral brought readers news about iPodDownload, a free iTunes plug-in that enabled users to move files from their iPod back to iTunes. Creator Sylvain Demongeot has since removed the software from circulation following a request from his Internet Service Provider (ISP), who apparently intervened at the behest of Apple Computer Inc. more

[Bryan]

Glad I got mine already!

[Tivor]

Me too! I didn't install it yet, but I guess the darn thing does work! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[DaveKen]

I got it as well, apparently just in time. There are other programs that will do this task, like PodWorks, but not as elegantly as iPodDownload.
Hmm.... wonder is that new security update will hose my install of iPodDownload. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[chikkenhead]

i'm not sure why apple is all in a tizzy about this one. iPodDownload can't "see" or copy any files downloaded from the iTunes music store. so, the music they sell is still safe. the whole attitude towards this just seems ridiculous, it's a necessary feature iTunes lacks. the first time i realized i couldn't copy files back to my harddrive, i was like "what the..??!!" i couldn't believe it.

[ibeetle]

Well the attitude about the ability of this, and many other, programs that allow this type of file transfer is this. I have a 20gb iPod with 15gb of music on it. Don't you think Apple would be just the tinytsest bit upset if I came over to your house, hooked up my iPod to your iMac and... click, click, click... you now have 15gb of the Bay City Rollers. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
The only problem is that there are already 3 or 4 other programs that will do this and with news readers like Unison and p2p network file sharing like Limewire the cats out of the bag.

[ekc]

I think there is a definite need for people to be able to consolidate their music collections. Over time, I have ripped CDs from different computers and the music all eventually winds up on my iPod. For awhile there, it was the only complete collection I had, and I don't think I could ever reproduce it. CDs are easy to misplace. That's one of the main reasons I bought an iPod in the first place. (We still don't have iTMS up here in Canada, so don't get me started!) So when I learned that there is no easy way to transfer the music off of it, I got a queasy feeling. What if I lose the iPod or it gets damaged? What if I upgrade to a newer model and want all my songs moved over?
In the end, I figured out you can copy the songs using a few terminal commands, but considering their current attitude, will Apple go out of their way to lock them down in the future? I think it is reasonable for people to want a way to back up their iPods. There is an investment in them you wouldn't want to lose.

[ibeetle]

I agree 100%.
But there are 3 rules #1 Backup, #2 Backup, #3 Backup.
I do not think that Apple intended for the iPod to be a music storage replacement. It was not designed so that a person can take all of there CD's, put them on there iPod, then "get rid of them".
You were right when you asked what would happen to your music if something happen to your computer or iPod.
If my iPod was lost or stolen or if it breaks then I still have the CD's to put on my new iPod. Lets face it ones chances of dropping it and it shattering into a million pieces or the darn thing just giving out. Remember hard drives fail all the time. Just one corrupt file can corrupt an entire hard drive. These situations are pretty high.
But lets face it I don't think anybody, in there wildest dreams, even Apple, could possible imagine the success of the iPod and the fact that people have a lot of CD's and they want all of them even numbering close to a thousand on there iPods.
The best way to do things is keep all your physical CD's and if you buy from a download source (iTunes, emusic, allofmp3.com, etc) MAKE A BACKUP COPY. Then put it on your iPod. Remember your phical CD's are going to last 10 or 15 years (maybe longer). Your iPod 5 or 6 at most.
With this in mind. Sense you have the physical CD's then there really isn't a reason for you to have to transfer music from your iPod to your computer. Besides if you put it on your computer to transfer to your iPod you can leave it on your computers hard drive or buy an external backup drive. A backup drive is cheep and great for other things too.

[HumanJHawkins]

This is, of course, absurd... It is so easy to copy songs off of an iPod that I don't even think it is safe to call it "hacking". The song files have just been turned invisible, like several other system folders and files.
I don't think Apple did this out of a serious concern for preventing piracy (which is the whole point). Rather, I suspect that their deal with the record companies requires them to take reasonable steps to prevent the iPod from being used to promote piracy. This is a smoke screen to help keep the record companies happy.

[Grapho]

You hit it right on the nail. This is exactly what I was thinking. It's the only thing that makes sense. There is no other motivation as to way Apple would do something like this.

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
I agree with you ibeetle. I don't understand what the fuss is all about. I know you can't do it with a few simple clicks or with built-in software but it can be done. To those complaining, you sound like those users who've never backed up, hard drive dies, and you expect the local technician to get back every little speck of data in the exact way it was, within a day, and for an hour of labor cost. Sheesh...You have to use your own brain sometimes to.
I'll admit that I haven't completely read music label license agreements but I'd think if you've lost or sold your original material than you no longer have rights to it.
For those of you griping about buying music, or really anything else. There isn't much else these days that's that cheap and I don't give a darn about what arguments where the percentages of money go. I want to be paid for my efforts/skills and others, yes...even you, deserve to as well. The bands wouldn't agree to the label if they believed it to be unfair so let them worry about what percentages go where.
Apple Knowledge Base Article #93033 - Backing up your music files in iTunes 4

MacCheetah3
Apple PowerBook G4 Titanium 1GHz, 1GB, 60GB, SuperDrive, Airport, Mac OS X, 20GB iPod (4G)
Debug Computer Services http://www.click2debug.com

[MannyC]

Speaking of Limewire, I'll just make this one controversial statement:
It is every Mac user's civic duty to share this file (if you have it).

[TheNewSteve]

This might be a dumb question, but if my iPod broke and was replaced, would iTunes not let me recopy my library to the new iPod? I have the CDs, but if the songs are already in the iTunes library, then it should be fine.
The worry should be that if you have all of your music on the iPod and the computer dies, you wouldn't be able to put the music onto another computer, right? My iPod is almost full, but everything is on the hard drive and the iPod. I might have to get an external drive, because I should probably be backing up anyway and I don't really use a lot of CD-Rs for backing up my other stuff. Can you have an iTunes library on another drive and still listen to it? I thought about doing the manual mode, but it was less convenient and added the danger of losing music, so I just switched it back to the normal default preference for storing music all on the HD and the iPod.

[fribhey]

i found this:
http://ipoddownload.cassiel.info/