The new Zen Touch: 24 hours battery life...

[Adagio]

Why should it? Would be very stupid if it did..

[Az]

the iPod does that?

[Q Classic]

yes, it does. i found out later that there's an ipod utility which prevents it, but it's not from apple, and i learned it after i'd nuked a friend's ipod.

[Drake Tungsten]

Wouldn't setting the iPod's syncing to manual avoid that problem? I'm curious, as my friend got an iPod and has been using my computer to manage it while his computer is in the shop. Don't want his iPod to get erased once when he switches back over to his computer.

[Q Classic]

i don't know if it does. itunes wasn't even open (but it had been installed) when we plugged it in. his entire blues collection went down the drain immediately after.

[Asher]

Now that's an example of intelligent design.

[Drake Tungsten]

It sounds like you had the iPod set to automatically sync with the iTunes playlist; that's why it opened up iTunes and emptied your friends iPod to match the empty iTunes playlist. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have happened if you had set the iPod to manually update only.

[Q Classic]

what i still don't understand is why that was even a design "feature".

[Asher]

Edit: To Drake

I don't think that's the point. Even an automatic update should know better, or at least prompt a confirmation saying "Synchronising will cause the deletion of X files on the iPod. Do you wish to continue?"

This is extremely basic human-computer interface 101 stuff, and I thought this was Apple's forte.

[Drake Tungsten]

what i still don't understand is why that was even a design "feature".

Automatic syncing is hella convenient 99% of the time. I'm having trouble even thinking of a situation where I would be in danger of accidentally erasing the files on my iPod. And even if I do, it takes like 15 minutes hooked up to my computer to refill it.

[Adagio]

I can't see where it could ever be convenient

[Asher]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

what i still don't understand is why that was even a design "feature".

Automatic syncing is hella convenient 99% of the time. I'm having trouble even thinking of a situation where I would be in danger of accidentally erasing the files on my iPod. And even if I do, it takes like 15 minutes hooked up to my computer to refill it.

I'm sure he doesn't have a problem with autosync, because it is definintely useful for me.

The problem is with autosync being braindead, enough to cause you to lose files in a situation that's hardly obscure...if you're going to be deleting user's files, you always ask for confirmation. It's a basic, fundamental rule.

[Q Classic]

Automatic syncing is hella convenient 99% of the time. I'm having trouble even thinking of a situation where I would be in danger of accidentally erasing the files on my iPod. And even if I do, it takes like 15 minutes hooked up to my computer to refill it.

autosyncing is convenient. we'd done a fresh reformat/reinstall, though, so there was no music on his computer at all--his whole collection was on the ipod.

which is why we were both quite miffed when we realized what was happening.

[Asher]

The autosync I use tells me "X files will be added, X files will be removed from your Nomad Zen. Do you wish to continue"? Yes/No/Customize.

Similarly for adding/deleting from the PC.

[Drake Tungsten]

if you're going to be deleting user's files, you always ask for confirmation.

Most users already made a concious choice to delete that file by erasing it from their iTunes playlist. Why would it be intelligent to make them confirm it again during what is supposed to be a quick and hassle-free autosync?

autosyncing is convenient. we'd done a fresh reformat/reinstall, though, so there was no music on his computer at all--his whole collection was on the ipod.

which is why we were both quite miffed when we realized what was happening.

Ouch. No backup, either?