Got iPod 1.2? If you don’t you can upgrade either with a Mac or a PC. The first release from Apple was the 1.2 OS X based Upgrader. This is in a new format exclusively for Mac’s OS version 10, or higher. Shortly there after, they posted a release of the Firmware Upgrader for version 9.x of the OS. This is the version that most PC users are using to get the 1.2 version of the Firmware onto their iPod. Of course the new iPods already come with 1.2, so if you’re just buying an iPod now, you’re already all set. If not, I recommend the new version of the Firmware – they’ve added a bit of stuff to the iPod with this release.
First and most “noted” is the ability to store iCalendar items on the iPod; this will allow you to carry appointments as well as contacts with your music. Apple is obviously beginning to position the iPod as a “read only” PDA, but it’s primary focus is still audio. This is obvious because of the other new features with the 1.2 release. There’s added support for Audible Audio Books. There’s also a new organizing system for music; in addition to browsing by Artist and Song, you can also browse by Album, Genre, and Composer. This means most Napster-leeches will have to spend some quality time with a Tag Editor, but who cares?
Since the calendar items but is mostly for OS X 10.2 (also known as Jaguar) users on an Apple, what does that mean for the PC Community? Got Outlook? Good! You can put your Calendar Items on your iPod, even before the Jaguar hits the street! iCal isn’t due out for another few days, but PC users, that use Outlook anyway, can put their items on their 1.2 iPod. What to do:
- Select a Calendar item
- Go to Actions and select Forward as iCalendar
- On the now open e-mail window, select the attachment and copy it
- Drop it in the Calendars folder on your iPod
You now have your Calendar item on your iPod. It’s not as elegant as an automatic sync or ActiveSync, but it is neat. and it does work, so yay for PC users… give it some time, too, because I’m sure someone innovative will get a “automatic” sync-ing application for Outlook users.
It’s something we’ve long appreciated about the iPod, and indeed iPhone, in that it simply presents our music with a degree of enthusiasm and doesn’t appear to be trying too hard to push anything it particularly wants us to hear.