Sci-Fi Hi-Fi

1. What is PodWorks?
2. There are so many iPod song transfer utilities out there. Why should I use PodWorks?
3. How do I install PodWorks?
4. How do I update PodWorks?
5. Can I put a copy of PodWorks on my iPod?
6. Why isn't PodWorks free?
7. How do I know my copy of PodWorks is successfully registered?
8. My registration code doesn't seem to work. What gives?
9. I've lost my registration code. How do I look it up?
10. Which song formats are supported by PodWorks?
11. Can PodWorks play and copy AAC files from the iTunes Music Store?
12. On my Mac, PodWorks always starts to open and then simply quits. What's the problem?
13. While transferring to iTunes, I get the error '"Unable to transfer song "(song title)" to iTunes due to error. Expected "from", etc. but found identifier.' What's wrong?
14. I transferred some songs to iTunes, but they disappear or won't play after I eject my iPod. What's going on?

General

What is PodWorks?

As most iPod owners probably realize, Apple made an important decision in designing the iPod that significantly cripples their otherwise wonderful device: songs can only be copied to the iPod, not from it. This decision was a wise one, in that it spared them the inevitable wrath of the RIAA, but it creates difficulties for people who have legitimate reasons to copy songs off their iPod. Some people, for example, own multiple Macs and would like to use their iPod to transfer songs between them. Others need to copy their entire music collection back to their Mac after experiencing a hard drive failure or some other catastrophe. Still others need occasional access to their music (e.g. for use in iMovie), but don't want to be forced to maintain 20GB of files on both their iPod and their Mac. Unfortunately, as far as iTunes is concerned, these people are out of luck!

This is where PodWorks comes in--to put it simply, it allows you to easily transfer your iPod's song files to any Mac running OS X (10.2 or higher).

There are so many iPod song transfer utilities out there. Why should I use PodWorks?

A quick search on VersionTracker will reveal that there are literally scads of iPod song transfer utilities out there--ranging from the free to the ridiculously overpriced. What separates PodWorks from many other applications of its ilk is its ability to read directly from the iPod's internal database.

You see, the world's iPod song copying utilities fall into basically two camps: those that display song "metadata" and those that don't. The ones that don't are generally fast at displaying the song list, but are less useful because they only show the song filenames and none of the additional song data that users of iTunes are accustomed to seeing. The ones that do are more useful, but take an inordinately long time to pull the ID3 song data out of every song file on your iPod.

PodWorks, however, is a completely different breed of program that combines the best of both worlds. In developing PodWorks, I put a lot of effort into reverse-engineering Apple's proprietary iPod database format. Since PodWorks can read directly from this database, it can display the metadata for even a very large song library almost instantaneously. No "scanning" of the iPod necessary--even on previously unknown iPods.

PodWorks's knowledge of the iPod database also gives it another important advantage: it can display a lot of information not contained in ID3. This includes the Play Count, Date Added, and Star Rating columns.

Another important distiction that I feel should be made between PodWorks and other programs of its ilk has to do with the level of polish and professionalism brought to bear on the task. From the way its data columns sort "intelligently" (like the ones in iTunes) to its IconFactory-designed application icon, I have always tried to go the extra mile to make sure that PodWorks exhibits a level of quality and attention to detail people don't normally associate with "shareware." I'm not just trying to make a quick buck here--I take a lot of pride in my work, and I think it shows.

Installation

How do I install PodWorks

To install PodWorks, simply copy the application file (the one that with the picture of the "open" iPod, marked "PodWorks") to any location on your computer that is writable by your OS X user. Your Mac's "Applications" folder is probably your best bet.

How do I update PodWorks

Simply download the latest version copy it over the old version. If you also copy your new version to your iPod, be sure to launch the iPod copy on the Mac where you originally entered your PodWorks registration once so you can be sure that it picks up the registration information.

Can I put a copy of PodWorks on my iPod?

Yes, PodWorks was designed with this use in mind. It will run from your iPod without a hitch, and will even remember its registration information even when running on "foreign" Macs.

Registration

Why isn't PodWorks free?

Unlike most iPod song transfer utilities out there, PodWorks was non-trivial to develop, and I think it is worth its modest price. Additionally, I think it is important to recognize that I have already reinvested a significant portion of my earnings into improving the product by commissioning professionally designed icons. If you think $8 is too much to pay, there are a number of freeware options out there that I think fill an important need. PodWorks is definitely intended to cater to--ahem--a certain group of people who don't mind paying for higher quality ;-).

How do I know my copy of PodWorks is successfully registered?

If your copy of PodWorks is registered, the title will simply say "PodWorks" instead of "PodWorks (Unregistered)." Also, the "PodWorks" menu will not contain the items "Purchase PodWorks Online" or "Enter Registration."

Unregistered

Registered

My registration code doesn't seem to work. What gives?

First, I would like to say that out of many, many registrations to date, I have yet to encounter an actual, non-working registration code. I've had many people insist that their registration code doesn't work, but upon closer examination, it always turns out to be one of the following problems at work:

Incorrect name: The name you enter into the PodWorks registration window must be the exact same name you enter when you pay for PodWorks. Case (upper versus lower) matters. Punctuation matters. Spaces matter.

The letter "O" instead of zero: Your serial number does not contain the letter "O." Anything that looks like an "O" is a zero.

Order number instead of registration code: The email you receive after you register contains an order number as well as a registration code. People sometimes confuse the two. For the record, your registration code will be a 35 character string beginning with "podwrks". See the image below for an example.

I've lost my registration code. How do I look it up?

Enter the email address you used to register here and your registration information will be re-mailed to your address. Or, if can't remember the email you used (or you don't have it anymore), send a message to podworks@scifihifi.com. To guarantee the quickest response, I would recommend using the web lookup if at all possible. Also, please do not send requests to my personal address.

Formats

Which song formats are supported by PodWorks?

PodWorks can copy and play any song format that the iPod supports. This includes MP3, AAC (both protected .m4p files from the iTunes Music Store and unprotected m4a files), WAV, and AIFF.

Can PodWorks play and copy AAC files from the iTunes Music Store?

PodWorks can always copy the protected files, but you will only be able to play them (through PodWorks or iTunes) on a machine that is properly authorized. See Apple's iTunes Customer Service authorization page for more information.

Troubleshooting

On my Mac, PodWorks always starts to open and then simply quits. What's the problem?

There are two common causes of this problem:

• You have a version of Mac OS X earlier than 10.2 (Jaguar). PodWorks requires 10.2 or above to function correctly.
• You are using an older version of PodWorks that doesn't support your newer iPod firmware. Upgrade to the newest version of PodWorks to solve this problem.

While transferring to iTunes, I get the error '"Unable to transfer song "(song title)" to iTunes due to error. Expected "from", etc. but found identifier.' What's wrong?

The most likely cause of this problem is an error that can occur after the transfer is initiated and iTunes doesn't start up quickly enough, or it brings up the "Do you want to replace the songs on the iPod" message. Simply make sure iTunes is open before initiating the transfer and you should be OK.

I transferred some songs to iTunes, but they disappear or won't play after I eject my iPod. What's going on?

Most likely, when you transferred the songs to iTunes you didn't have the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" option checked in the "Advanced" section of the iTunes preferences window (see illustration below). If this option is unchecked, iTunes will not copy the transferred files from the iPod to your Mac, but rather will simply add references to the files on the iPod to its library. Thus, when you remove the iPod, the songs disappear. Try sending the songs with that option checked.