iPod and iTunes

I have finally come to realize the frustration and calamity that is the ipod and itunes. Over the past few years I have recommended, yet kept away from the flame/bashing, the ipod. I didn't care for iTunes, but it worked for what it did.

That was when I used it for nothing but music. Granted, not being able to get music off easily is horrendous as well, as I have learned.

Here's my issue: Audiobooks.

As I've grown and expanded, I've gotten into audiobooks. Follow all the instructions for how to get itunes to work with audiobooks, and click the checkboxes for all the features, etc etc. Everything is in its perfect place, separated by author and book in iTunes.

I go into my ipod and the ENTIRE audiobook folder has all my files just in that one directory. Apparently the audiobook portion of the ipod doesn't have a folder hierarchy system. WTF? Every single book I have is split up into every individual file in that directory. That is retarded.

I understand I can label the genre as Audiobook and go that route, through music etc, but for something that exclaims and thrives on the premise that "it just works" this is just ridiculous. For anyone with multiple audiobooks that entire directory is a mess, to large, and just a horrible system.

I know understand people's frustration. If you expand your media past that of just music the ipod falls flat on its face. Ughhhh. Time to look for a useable workaround that doesn't take hours to set in place.

That's the feel that Apple tries to go for. No folders, few menus, lots of shiny buttons and animations that make you giggle on the inside maniacally for hours.

The issue is that unless you have each audiobook as a SINGLE track, that single folder for audiobooks becomes a jumbled mess.

It would be soooo much more intuitive if the audiobook separated into folders, first by author, then by title. Why it isn't I do not know.

Until I find another solution, i shoved the authors back into the music section, set the genre of all my music to music, comedy to comedy, and audiobooks to audiobooks, and have a folder setup like what would make sense. Unfortunately, now my music folder is cluttered with authors, so I have to go into genres then divide to the proper section.

my issue is with my 1st gen iPhone, and now with the 2.2 update, it wont sync anything but music. syncs music, then freezes, no mail, pics, etc :(

apparently I'm not the only one having this issue...but its frustrating!!!!!

Wow, that sucks. Not syncing things would def suck.

For the ipod I just wish they put the effort they put into the music section into the other sections of the ipod.

From my new experiences, once you expand out of the basic stuff, that's when the apple products seem to meet their downfall.

My solution to this would be:

Incorporate the Audiobooks as "Music". Artist: "Audiobook", Album: "<Book Name>", Track: "<Chapter>"

Shazam, organized. Although you have to go to "Music" to get to your audiobooks, they'll still be there, and organized.

That does seem like another good method for the ipod and itunes.

Though, every time I reinstall windows and resetup itunes I will have to go through and rename every book that way. As they are organized by Author, book, track in my server. Which the girlfriend uses as well, but on a Sansa, not ipod, which may be easier to have it named by author, then book.

It might not make a difference, but changing things up tech wise with some woman is not always a good idea lol. But I shall try it, and see how it works.

Thanks I shall try that method, and see how the timing compares to doing it that way.