Thank you Apple

The iMac G5 has arrived. It's all good...except it has wiped my iPod.

You see, there was never enough room on my old laptop to keep the iPod synched. So I was obliged to "manually organise iPod". But this new computer has more than enough room to keep the iPod synched. So, in iTunes, I copy the contents of the iPod to the Library. Except, iTunes doesn't let you do that. In case you are a pirate. Ok...

So, I try to download iPod Downloader, a piece of software that gets around this crazy system of control. Except Apple has gotten the developer's ISP to turn the guy off. 'Cause pirates might use the software.

Ok, I would really like to be able to burn a DVD backup of my tracks. It makes me worry that the iPod could be broken or stolen and 6 months of ripping every CD I own followed by 8 months of rating EVERY track, ALL 25GB of THEM would be lost.

So, I go to iTunes preferences and select the Automatic updating option for the iPod. It tells me that if I click OK, everything on the iPod will be replaced with everything in the Library. The wording is ambiguous, does it mean it will overwrite the same songs or everything? Now that I have the space, I want all songs on the Library, so I don't have to plug the iPod in everytime I want to use the computer to play music. It seems likely that when I press OK I will lose everything on the iPod. I have no choice, I figure, if I can't get the songs off the iPod I am going to have to rip all the CDs again anyway. But wait. Surely Apple engineers wouldn't write software that wholesale deleted 5000 songs only to replace them with zero? Surely they wouldn't punish a legitimate user in order to stop illegitimate users? Who are going to get around the blocks anyway? Nup. Its all gone. Over a year of ripping cds, 5000 songs rated. Gone.

Well, on the up side I have a use for this new iPod killing monster. I was going to waste my time editing some video, making my own songs, living the good life. That would have been an improper use of my time. I'll spend the next 6 months doing what I did for the last 6 months. It seems almost spiritual. At least this new bastard is quick.

Thanks, Apple. That's the last time I try and do the right thing by you. If you are going to punish me for being a pirate when I am not, then I might as well give you a reason.