My .02...When I sync my wife's IPOD on her laptop, all good.  If I connect
it to another PC, all data is lost.  NOT an IPOD Guru, Michael.
Michael in San Antonio
91GL AT 'Gringo'
73 Beetle

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 5:51 PM, Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@gmail.com>wrote:

> *Hi Don,*
>
> *I would like to put in a plug for an iPod.  I find that Apple's iTunes is
> a
> very simple way to organize music and to decide which playlists (ordered,
> grouped songs) go onto the iPod and which don't, in the event that you
> choose not to carry around the entire shebang at once.  I further think
> that
> Apple's attention to detail yeilds clean sound reproduction whether you're
> using headphones or a docking solution (line out). *
>
> In general: any MP3 player will usually play MP3s, which can vary in
> quality
> from poor (96 kilobyte bitrate) to practically-as-good-as-CD (320 kilobyte
> bitrate). They will also play WAV files which are exactly CD quality but
> take up far more space, 4 - 10X as much space per minute, as an MP3.  iPods
> will also play Apple AAC files, which vary from near-CD quality (128
> kilobyte bitrate) to instinguishable-from-CD quality (256 kilobyte, so
> called "iTunes plus") quality.
>
> You can use iTunes to "rip" (read: copy and convert) music from CD to
> either
> MP3 or AAC format to any of the different quality levels. Personally I rip
> CDs to 320k MP3 because it gives me the best sound quality and most
> flexible
> usage abilities, as I am also a DJ / sound manipulator.
>
> You can buy excellent quality MP3 or AAC files from Amazon or iTunes,
> respectively.  I personally consider it my right to create a digital backup
> copy of a CD that I have purchased at no additional cost but IANAL so you
> may feel differently. I also consider it my right to find and download a
> digital MP3 copy of something I have previously purchased on cassette,
> 8-track or LP because hey - I've already paid the artist and label for the
> right to play this music.
>
> While I currently just connect the headphone output of my iPod directly to
> the line-in port on my audio deck, this is not considered the "cleanest
> way"
> because of problems involving matching impedance between headphone and line
> levels. A car stereo which includes a dangling iPod dock would be better
> because this ensures matching line-level impedance for cleanest sound
> reproduction.
>
> I understand some car audio decks now come with a USB port so you can
> simply
> copy MP3 or WAV files directly to a USB stick drive and plug it into your
> car stereo. This sounds like a very tempting solution which obviates the
> need for a dedicated player, if you wouldn't otherwise use a personal music
> playback device.
>
> Obligatory Vanagon content: As soon as they're easily available from eBay I
> intend to build a robust iPod dock into my dashboard ash tray. I believe
> someone on Thesamba has done this. Will post pics if I get that off the
> ground.
>
> cheers,
>
> Peter
> 89 Bluestar
> iPod shuffle
> iPhone
>
>
> *
> *
>  On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 3:08 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > OK,  can someone bring me into century 2000 when it comes to music
> players
> > suitable for various enviornments?  I have a CD changer, a Mini-disc
> > player,
> > a good sound reproducing amplifier in both house and van but I know
> nothing
> > of digital players like everyone seems to be using now.  Do I just go get
> > an
> > MP3 player from Best Buy or Wal Mart and plug that into my current stuff?
> > Do
> > I have to buy an I-pod (whatever that is) and then re-purchase every song
> I
> > like? How do I get music I have on other mediums to go into a computer
> file
> > so I can send it around to all my various mechanical reproducers in Van
> and
> > home?
> >   Can you buy software to convert recorded music to MP 3 playable format?
> > Is there a good site anyone can suggest that would be worthwhile for me
> to
> > learn this stuff from?  Should I just go to Fry's electronics or Car toys
> > and listen to a salesman's rap?  Help, lost in the world of CDs and
> records
> > and tapes...
> >   Don Hanson
> >
>