iPod Nano

**madmatt** · December 29th, 2005

Okay, I am going to admit this one time, and one time only.

The president and vice president of my company both got iPod Nanos for Christmas and allowed me to try them out (of course both had issues and needed my professional help).

I must admit, it's small, sleek, very nice, and I would buy one if it supported WMA and allowed me to transfer music using Windows Explorer.

Now I know why Apple makes the best digital music players.

**kcnychief** · December 29th, 2005

They are very sexy, I know someone who has one and they are amazing. I'd get one, but I already have a mini and it works good enough for me

jcim05 · December 29th, 2005

Apple has the best hardware, however im not a fan of iTunes (as much as everyone raves about it). I would love a nano if I could transfer files through windows explorer.

**kcnychief** · December 29th, 2005

IMO, iTunes is a good program, but bloated for simply transfering audio files to your iPod. Winamp has a plugin which will allow you to transfer using that program instead:

http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=138888

**muzikool** · December 29th, 2005

I went to the Apple Store in Dallas recently and saw the nano for the first time.
<understatement>Wow, that thing is small.</understatement>

**madmatt** · December 29th, 2005

That was my first impression, "where's the rest of it?"

I wonder if WMP has a plugin. Regardless, it doesn't support WMA format.

**X-Istence** · December 29th, 2005

Originally Posted by madmatt

That was my first impression, "where's the rest of it?"

I wonder if WMP has a plugin. Regardless, it doesn't support WMA format.

I am surprised anyone has their library in WMA format with the fact that overall, I find the sound quality appalling compared to MP3 at the same bit-rate. I am not a big fan of MP3 either, I prefer OGG if it has to be an open format, or AAC/MP4 for a propriety codec.

There are programs out there that let you turn your iPod into drag and drop and not use iTunes, all they do is rebuild the iTunesDB after you have dropped your songs onto it. Most notably is the iPod Shuffle.

**Admiral Michael** · December 29th, 2005

Found this site a while back:

http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/

**Mastershakes** · December 29th, 2005

It's so small I'd be worried about losing it, or constantly checking to see it's there when not listening to it. That being said, it's damn nice lookin.

About the WMP - some alternative solutions, some already mentioned in here

**Xie** · December 29th, 2005

I thought iTunes/iPod both supported un-DRM WMA? I could be wrong but thought that was one of the nice features for Windows folks.

*edit* - Just found this in a 2sec search ..

Convert your existing music collection from unprotected WMA for syncing to iPod

Found it the feature list on the right side.

**NetRyder** · December 29th, 2005

Originally Posted by Xie

I thought iTunes/iPod both supported un-DRM WMA? I could be wrong but thought that was one of the nice features for Windows folks.

*edit* - Just found this in a 2sec search ..

Found it the feature list on the right side.

The iPod doesn't natively support the WMA format. iTunes converts WMA files into AAC during the synchronization process so that the iPod can play them. The problem with this is the noticeable quality-loss that occurs due to transcoding.

**SPeedY_B** · December 29th, 2005

Who the hell uses WMA? It's an awful format.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure you can use EphPod and Anapod for updating an iPod with Windows Explorer, then there's the Winamp plugin already mentioned.

**madmatt** · December 29th, 2005

If and when they support WMA (which will never happen) I would consider buying one. But I don't have to worry about that.

**SPeedY_B** · December 30th, 2005

Ask Microsoft to license the WMA codecs to Apple then...

**madmatt** · December 30th, 2005

I did, Bill told me he would think about it.

**NetRyder** · December 30th, 2005

Originally Posted by SPeedY_B

Ask Microsoft to license the WMA codecs to Apple then...

Come on. I really hope you're joking.

The iPod's lack of support for WMA has almost nothing to do with Microsoft's refusal to license it to them. If anything, Microsoft would be glad to have the most dominant device in the market supporting their format.

**ming** · December 30th, 2005

Although they look very nice, I'm no fan of Ipods and probably won't ever own one.

**X-Istence** · December 30th, 2005

Originally Posted by NetRyder

Come on. I really hope you're joking.
The iPod's lack of support for WMA has almost nothing to do with Microsoft's refusal to license it to them. If anything, Microsoft would be glad to have the most dominant device in the market supporting their format.

That is not what happened at first. Microsoft did not want to license the codec to Apple when they first started selling the iPod's, it was back then that Apple decided to create their own format with DRM. Now that the iPod's have caught on, I don't doubt Microsoft would love for them to use WMA, but it's too late now.

(Will dig up the source for this information when I find the time to, was a great article surrounding iTunes in general)

**NetRyder** · December 30th, 2005

Originally Posted by X-Istence

That is not what happened at first. Microsoft did not want to license the codec to Apple when they first started selling the iPod's, it was back then that Apple decided to create their own format with DRM. Now that the iPod's have caught on, I don't doubt Microsoft would love for them to use WMA, but it's too late now.

(Will dig up the source for this information when I find the time to, was a great article surrounding iTunes in general)

I'll wait for the article. Hopefully it's from a reliable source. Until then, I find it hard to believe.

I can think of three major reasons why Apple would never want to support WMA on the iPod:
1) Licensing fees to Microsoft.
2) Potentially increasing the dominance of WMA, which is Microsoft's proprietary codec.
3) Jobs wants complete control over the entire end-to-end experience. This is basically the same reason why Apple flat out refuses to license FairPlay to any other company.

On the other hand, I see no rational reasons why Microsoft would not want to license WMA to Apple, now or in the past. They license it (the codec and the DRM implementation) to Creative, Dell, Sony, iRiver, iAudio and several other companies. Apple would simply count as yet another IHV to them, considering the fact that Microsoft doesn't build its own device to compete with the iPod.

jimi_81 · December 30th, 2005

Originally Posted by ming

Although they look very nice, I'm no fan of Ipods and probably won't ever own one.

i said the same thing dammit!
Ming, you win, i lose!

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #1
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 293	iPod Nano Okay, I am going to admit this one time, and one time only. The president and vice president of my company both got iPod Nanos for Christmas and allowed me to try them out (of course both had issues and needed my professional help). I must admit, it's small, sleek, very nice, and I would buy one if it supported WMA and allowed me to transfer music using Windows Explorer. Now I know why Apple makes the best digital music players.

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #2
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 302	Re: iPod Nano They are very sexy, I know someone who has one and they are amazing. I'd get one, but I already have a mini and it works good enough for me XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #3
jcim05 OSNN Junior Addict Joined: December 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 35 Reputation: 0 Power: 75	Re: iPod Nano Apple has the best hardware, however im not a fan of iTunes (as much as everyone raves about it). I would love a nano if I could transfer files through windows explorer. Dell Inspiron 8600\Windows XP Pro\Pentium M 1.6GHz\512MB\40GB Internal Storage\Intel Pro-Wireless 802.11bg\15.4 inch widescreen\NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200\279GB External Storage\Sony 16X DVD+/- R/RW Drive\Macintosh Pro Keyboard\ Please use the reputation system! If you find a members post to be helpful, reward them by clicking the under there name so to encourage other helpful posts.

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #4
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 302	Re: iPod Nano IMO, iTunes is a good program, but bloated for simply transfering audio files to your iPod. Winamp has a plugin which will allow you to transfer using that program instead: http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=138888 XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #5
muzikool Act your wage. Joined: December 2001 Location: Texas, USA Reputation: Yes, please. Posts: 7,626 Reputation: 2900 Power: 229	Re: iPod Nano I went to the Apple Store in Dallas recently and saw the nano for the first time. <understatement>Wow, that thing is small.</understatement>

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December 29th, 2005	Top \| #6
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 293	Re: iPod Nano That was my first impression, "where's the rest of it?" I wonder if WMP has a plugin. Regardless, it doesn't support WMA format.

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #7
X-Istence * Joined: December 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,490 Reputation: 2808 Power: 217	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by madmatt That was my first impression, "where's the rest of it?" I wonder if WMP has a plugin. Regardless, it doesn't support WMA format. I am surprised anyone has their library in WMA format with the fact that overall, I find the sound quality appalling compared to MP3 at the same bit-rate. I am not a big fan of MP3 either, I prefer OGG if it has to be an open format, or AAC/MP4 for a propriety codec. There are programs out there that let you turn your iPod into drag and drop and not use iTunes, all they do is rebuild the iTunesDB after you have dropped your songs onto it. Most notably is the iPod Shuffle. My blog!

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #8
Admiral Michael Michaelsoft Systems CEO Joined: February 2003 Location: Hamilton, Ontario Canada Earth Posts: 3,125 Blog Entries: 8 Reputation: 2216 Power: 163	Re: iPod Nano Found this site a while back: http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/ Apple MacBook Pro Intel Quad-Core i7 2GHz \| Corsair 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory \| WD 750GB 7200RPM Black Edition SATA Hard Drive \| Intel HD Graphics 3000/AMD Radeon HD 6490M 256MB GDDR5 \| 15.4" LED backlit glossy screen @ 1440x900 \| Dual Band Airport Wireless/Bluetooth \| Gigabit Ethernet \| Thunderbolt I/O \| Built-in Webcam \| Backlit Keyboard \| Firewire 800 \| DVDRW \| OS X Lion 10.7.1 My Site \| My DVD Collection \| Your Chevrolet Guy

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #9
Mastershakes OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: July 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,721 Reputation: 1040 Power: 120	Re: iPod Nano It's so small I'd be worried about losing it, or constantly checking to see it's there when not listening to it. That being said, it's damn nice lookin. About the WMP - some alternative solutions, some already mentioned in here

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #10
Xie - geek - Joined: September 2003 Location: NY, USA Posts: 5,216 Reputation: 1730 Power: 171	Re: iPod Nano I thought iTunes/iPod both supported un-DRM WMA? I could be wrong but thought that was one of the nice features for Windows folks. edit - Just found this in a 2sec search .. Convert your existing music collection from unprotected WMA for syncing to iPod Found it the feature list on the right side. tehgeek \| tehgeek \| geeking out to tech \| IRC \| Parted Magic \| A+ Certified Professional

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #11
NetRyder Tech Junkie Joined: April 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,256 Reputation: 4260 Power: 294	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by Xie I thought iTunes/iPod both supported un-DRM WMA? I could be wrong but thought that was one of the nice features for Windows folks. edit - Just found this in a 2sec search .. Found it the feature list on the right side. The iPod doesn't natively support the WMA format. iTunes converts WMA files into AAC during the synchronization process so that the iPod can play them. The problem with this is the noticeable quality-loss that occurs due to transcoding. http://kunal.kundaje.net

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #12
SPeedY_B I may actually be insane. Joined: March 2002 Location: Midlands, England Posts: 15,800 Reputation: 2877 Power: 307	Re: iPod Nano Who the hell uses WMA? It's an awful format. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you can use EphPod and Anapod for updating an iPod with Windows Explorer, then there's the Winamp plugin already mentioned. 1. SPeedYB.co.uk 2. CamPortal.co.uk 3. MacIRC.co.uk

December 29th, 2005	Top \| #13
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 293	Re: iPod Nano If and when they support WMA (which will never happen) I would consider buying one. But I don't have to worry about that.

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #14
SPeedY_B I may actually be insane. Joined: March 2002 Location: Midlands, England Posts: 15,800 Reputation: 2877 Power: 307	Re: iPod Nano Ask Microsoft to license the WMA codecs to Apple then... 1. SPeedYB.co.uk 2. CamPortal.co.uk 3. MacIRC.co.uk

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #15
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 293	Re: iPod Nano I did, Bill told me he would think about it.

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December 30th, 2005	Top \| #16
NetRyder Tech Junkie Joined: April 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,256 Reputation: 4260 Power: 294	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by SPeedY_B Ask Microsoft to license the WMA codecs to Apple then... Come on. I really hope you're joking. The iPod's lack of support for WMA has almost nothing to do with Microsoft's refusal to license it to them. If anything, Microsoft would be glad to have the most dominant device in the market supporting their format. http://kunal.kundaje.net

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #17
ming OSNN Advanced Joined: June 2003 Location: UK Posts: 4,252 Reputation: 1160 Power: 159	Re: iPod Nano Although they look very nice, I'm no fan of Ipods and probably won't ever own one. Curent system: Intel Quad Core 9450 \| 4GB RAM \| WD Raptor 36GB \| nVidia 8800GT 512mb

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #18
X-Istence * Joined: December 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,490 Reputation: 2808 Power: 217	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by NetRyder Come on. I really hope you're joking. The iPod's lack of support for WMA has almost nothing to do with Microsoft's refusal to license it to them. If anything, Microsoft would be glad to have the most dominant device in the market supporting their format. That is not what happened at first. Microsoft did not want to license the codec to Apple when they first started selling the iPod's, it was back then that Apple decided to create their own format with DRM. Now that the iPod's have caught on, I don't doubt Microsoft would love for them to use WMA, but it's too late now. (Will dig up the source for this information when I find the time to, was a great article surrounding iTunes in general) My blog!

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #19
NetRyder Tech Junkie Joined: April 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,256 Reputation: 4260 Power: 294	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by X-Istence That is not what happened at first. Microsoft did not want to license the codec to Apple when they first started selling the iPod's, it was back then that Apple decided to create their own format with DRM. Now that the iPod's have caught on, I don't doubt Microsoft would love for them to use WMA, but it's too late now. (Will dig up the source for this information when I find the time to, was a great article surrounding iTunes in general) I'll wait for the article. Hopefully it's from a reliable source. Until then, I find it hard to believe. I can think of three major reasons why Apple would never want to support WMA on the iPod: 1) Licensing fees to Microsoft. 2) Potentially increasing the dominance of WMA, which is Microsoft's proprietary codec. 3) Jobs wants complete control over the entire end-to-end experience. This is basically the same reason why Apple flat out refuses to license FairPlay to any other company. On the other hand, I see no rational reasons why Microsoft would not want to license WMA to Apple, now or in the past. They license it (the codec and the DRM implementation) to Creative, Dell, Sony, iRiver, iAudio and several other companies. Apple would simply count as yet another IHV to them, considering the fact that Microsoft doesn't build its own device to compete with the iPod. http://kunal.kundaje.net

December 30th, 2005	Top \| #20
jimi_81 OSNN Senior Addict Joined: May 2002 Location: Stoney Creek, ON, Canada Posts: 820 Reputation: 500 Power: 132	Re: iPod Nano Originally Posted by ming Although they look very nice, I'm no fan of Ipods and probably won't ever own one. i said the same thing dammit! Ming, you win, i lose!