Travel Technology - Is it possible to sync iPod Photo to PC without iTunes?

Fellow FlyerTalkers,

Has anyone used software other than iTunes, such as Windows Media Player or MusicMatch, to synchronize your iPod Photo? Does it work?

This is my dilemma: I really like the idea of owning the new iPod Photo to store my MP3 tracks that I ripped from my CD collection. I'm running Windows XP and have my MP3 collection stored in Windows Media Player.

I'm not interested in purchasing music from the iTunes Music Store, plus I'm also not interested in Apple's AAC file format. All I want to do is play MP3 files and the occasional photo. After researching the issue I've read that installing iTunes on a Windows machine knocks out the ability of other programs to synchronize with iPod. Can anyone confirm this?

So the short version of this is can I sync to an iPod Photo without having to install iTunes, or are the two inextricably linked? Am I setting myself up for failure?

Thanks for your help.

the iPod is inextricably linked to iTunes, BUT...

1. iTunes/iPod can store/play MP3's
2. iTunes can/will import MP3's from other programs.

You are out of luck only for non-MP3 files, including those purchased online with digital rights management built-in. MP3's you ripped from your own CD's will be effortlessly imported into iTunes.

Fellow FlyerTalkers,

Has anyone used software other than iTunes, such as Windows Media Player or MusicMatch, to synchronize your iPod Photo? Does it work?

This is my dilemma: I really like the idea of owning the new iPod Photo to store my MP3 tracks that I ripped from my CD collection. I'm running Windows XP and have my MP3 collection stored in Windows Media Player.

I'm not interested in purchasing music from the iTunes Music Store, plus I'm also not interested in Apple's AAC file format. All I want to do is play MP3 files and the occasional photo. After researching the issue I've read that installing iTunes on a Windows machine knocks out the ability of other programs to synchronize with iPod. Can anyone confirm this?

So the short version of this is can I sync to an iPod Photo without having to install iTunes, or are the two inextricably linked? Am I setting myself up for failure?

Thanks for your help.

you can install itunes and sync the ipod, and then continue to use windows media player if you want. itunes should not affect the ability to use other software to sync or play the music. you can also set itunes to encode in mp3 instead of aac should you choose to encode with it, and there is no need to convert existing mp3s to aac.

however, instead of itunes, you can use anapod:
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/

other windows software for ipod is listed at http://www.ipodlounge.com/downloads_windows.php?id=0

There are many other solutions, www.musicex.com is the site for J.River media center, it syncs perfectly without itunes, and then there is also Moodlogic, and the products from RedChair software. And probably 50 or 60 other packages that do the same...

I am using JRiver software to play music on my HTPC and synch to the IPOD. I like this solution, but it is a bit more geeky than itunes.

Thanks for your replies and the wealth of options. I'll explore them all.

iTunes is the interface between the iPod and your PC, but you don't have to use it as a synchronizing mechanism.
First of all, you should review http://ipodlounge.com/, and in particular the iPod 101 articles under http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles.php.
What I do is to use Windows Media Player to rip my CDs using MP3 format. Each CD gets ripped to a separate folder.
Then I open iTunes, connect the iPod to the computer, let iTunes detect the iPod, and then drag and drop that folder into iTunes. That causes iTunes to copy the mp3 files into the iPod.
To make this work, when you open iTunes the first time, go to Edit|Preferences|Advanced and uncheck Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized and uncheck Copy Files To iTunes Music Folder.
And under Edit|Preferences|iPod|Music, uncheck both Automatically Update options. Check Manually Manage.
This way, you can have iTunes installed on multiple computers, and download mp3 files from all of them onto the iPod, without synchronizing the iPod to any of them.

Thanks for the info redburgundy. I'll probably use that as a last resort because I'd rather not install iTunes at all if I can help it. (At the moment I'm using WMP 10 to rip my CDs but would prefer a total package to rip and synchronize with the iPod).

At the moment I'm leaning toward the Anapod Explorer. Most of the reviews I read give exceptional comments.

I'm using Anapod Explorer. Excellent program, and well worth the $25.

I have iTunes on both my PC's at home & work. I would like to upload my songs from my iPod to the iTunes library on my office PC. The only option that I see if to completly erase what is store on my iPod and replace it with what's on my PC at work. Does anyone know how to do this?

I have iTunes on both my PC's at home & work. I would like to upload my songs from my iPod to the iTunes library on my office PC. The only option that I see if to completly erase what is store on my iPod and replace it with what's on my PC at work. Does anyone know how to do this?
Review the iPod 201 articles here:
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles.php
particularly these:
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles_more.php?id=5029_0_8_0_M
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles_more.php?id=5090_0_8_0_M
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles_more.php?id=5220_0_8_0_M
http://www.ipodlounge.com/articles_more.php?id=5029_0_8_0_M