iTunes for Windows Breaking Older iPods

evil_liam asks: "In our office we've been running an older 5gb iPod with both Macs and PC's (using Xplay), but when we installed iTunes for the PC the iPod stopped working. Songs and playlists transfer over fine, and you can see them and play them in iTunes, but you can't listen to them on the iPod, itself. It shows the song details and so forth, but skips through the tracks, playing 0 seconds of each one until it finishes. This only applies to tracks added since iTunes was installed. No amount of reformatting, or rolling back firmware seems to work. When I called Apple, they stated that they simply don't support the use of the older Mac iPods on PC's and are not responsible, even though they admit that it was their own software that caused this. We're not alone, see this thread at Apple. I'm not quite suggesting that this was deliberate, but they are aware of it and don't seem to care." Does anyone have ideas on possible fixes for the afflicted iPods?

Comments

Idiot

[Anonymous Coward]

iTunes broke the iPod, not Windows.

Apple's Ongoing Problem

[localman]

Apple seems to have always had a problem with not giving a hoot about their existing customers.

Perhaps it's because their existing customer base is so loyal and rabid, yet are such a small percentage of the market they're after. But whatever the cause, they are always breaking compatability and leaving various customers out in the cold. If you follow the mac discussion boards for a year or so, you'll see this happen again and again.

What they don't seem to understand is that it's almost always a good idea to keep your customers from feeling like they're getting screwed. People just want to feel that they're being treated fairly. It doesn't matter that much what _is_ fair, but the vast majority of people are pretty reasonable, and a little good faith effort on the part of a company goes a long way. I speak from experience.

I have been a relatively happy Apple user for a few years now. But I've read the boards and they just have a way of saying "we don't really care" more often than any company should. It's just bad business.

Cheers.

Re:Apple approved fix

[Espectr0]

Better fix: don't use Windows.

How can a 1000-3000$ workaround can be called a fix?
It's not like using the iPod on windows is not supported... So stop the trolling

Re:Sigh

[javaxman]

not interesting. mod parent down. The first version of iTunes for Windows released had a bug which caused some Win2k machines to crash. I bet that's the first time any first-release windows software had a problem like that. There's an update which fixes that problem anyway ( I think it was out about a week after the first version ). The issue isn't with new, Windows-compatible iPods, it's with old, first-generation Macintosh-only iPods that you have no business hooking to a PC anyway. Duh. I'm looking for the report where a Windows-compatible iPod is broken by iTunes... none? No? Why is this article posted? This guy needs to re-install the last iPod firmware update and remember not to try that again, end of story.

And this suprises you?

[hemna]

Apple has done this for years people! wake up!

need to re-title the software to iShit

[Sjobeck]

I thikn they need to re-title that software to iShit. I checked on Apple's behalf, and iShit.com is available. I say go for it.

Re:Err WTFark are you spewing forth?

[SpacePunk]

But that's all Apple has... fanatics.

No, this is pretty serious

[siskbc]

Expecting a Mac iPod to work with Windows is silly.... might as well try to install windows on your macintosh without emulation and then be surprised.

There is no story here.

Not silly when apple claims windows support for iPods, unless you have had your head in the sand (or, uh, elsewhere ;>) and haven't seen their TV commercials to that effect. They support windows, and using their device with windows fries the device. That is not acceptable, I don't care who the the vendors of the OS and device are. If older iPods simply weren't able to interface with windows, that would be one thing. Actually having them fail in permanent fashion is quite another.

Switch things around - if MS made a device that fatally shit itself when interfacing with Mac OS, you know that you, me, and most other people on this site would be screaming bloody murder about MS, all the while laughing at the fools who bought the device.

In the name of avoiding hypocrisy, Apple now deserves the same contempt we'd be heaping on MS for the same feat.

Re:Perhaps you should have read the manual or the

[balbeir]

They have electricity in china now ????

Re:Apple always said...

[BitGeek]

Hey idiot-- pc firewire ports do not provide powerr. The first generation ipods counted on getting power when plugged into firewire.

you guys are such fucking idiots its not even funny.

You are so ignorant, and yet so proud of your ignorance.

Jesus, its no wonder you are all unemployed.