I found this very helpful for learning how to do things with my classic video ipod. Bought one for my dad as well.

Doesn't cover ipod touch, and I think some of the links and examples are out-of-date.

As others have remarked, a new edition would benefit from fewer whimsical anecdotes about the author.

This book, unlike many others, delivers what it promises. It shows you exactly how to load stuff onto your iPod. The author even recommends good software to use with it. Do not hesitate to buy this book.

iPod Fully Loaded by Andy Ihnatko

While I'm sure Andy has an iPhone, this excellent book was written when the iPhone was only an apple in Steve's eye, Andy does a great job of helping the average user tweak some extra features from their iPod. Those suffering from iPhone envy will find some solace in Andy's tips. This book is best for techheads who want to impress their friends, families and associates with all the incredibly cool things they can do with their iPod. iPods have evolved into mini PDAs that can do practically anything (it's the inputing that's the challenge!)

The first few chapters of the book were obvious tips that even beginner iPod'ers know and would annoy the intermediate to advanced audience the book is designed to reach. We all know we can copy songs from our CDs to our iPod. Yawn. Another distraction of the book is the annoying quips and too much personal info about Andy. Sorry, Andy, I'll read your blog to find out your opinion about Battlestar Galactica or the Simpsons, but I don't want it in a book about how to use an iPod. No offense, just not interested. Also, Andy played a bit fast and loose with disclosure on the risks of copyrights. It may be his opinion that some things should be legal, but in the murky legal environment today, more warnings of the risks of copying copyrighted materials should have been discussed.

Just like diamond surrounded by unimpressive coal, there are true gems in the book that I was able to immediately put to use. For example. Andy discussed programs for the Mac and PC that allow you to digitize to voice your emails and sync them with your iPod. I definitely downloaded some of his great tools and now I can laugh at those iPhone people because my iPod is almost as impressive. Almost. Also Andy does a great job of explaining how to use Automator in Tiger to get some really amazing features of your iPod working for you such as "listening" to a website. Take that iPhone! The most impressive iPod tricks Andy teaches is converting any text file to audio for listening, or simply easily breaking up the file for transport to the iPod. Many of the tricks don't require software, but use some neat ideas Andy has for existing tools such as taking a screen shot of a subway map and then putting it on your iPod.

As stated earlier, I quickly got annoyed by Andy's personal tips and societal opinions. Not tips on how to use your iPod, but tips on various SciFi TV shows. Again, Yawn. The tips interfered with the flow of the book because they were visual annoyance on the page. I expect those sidebars to give me exceptionally useful information. It's Andy's style as the "42nd most beloved industry personality" I'll give him leeway because he is an industry veteran and promoted the "Macquarium," just like I give my grandfather when he tells me story about the war (which one?)

Pros: Great tips to use your iPod to it's absolute potential. Great cure for iPhone envy.
Cons: Andy's style, which gets in the way of the information and artificially increases the length of the book.

Four out of Five Dogcows

iPod Fully Loaded by Andy Ihnatko

While I'm sure Andy has an iPhone, this excellent book was written when the iPhone was only an apple in Steve's eye, Andy does a great job of helping the average user tweak some extra features from their iPod. Those suffering from iPhone envy will find some solace in Andy's tips. This book is best for techheads who want to impress their friends, families and associates with all the incredibly cool things they can do with their iPod. iPods have evolved into mini PDAs that can do practically anything (it's the inputing that's the challenge!)

The first few chapters of the book were obvious tips that even beginner iPod'ers know and would annoy the intermediate to advanced audience the book is designed to reach. We all know we can copy songs from our CDs to our iPod. Yawn. Another distraction of the book is the annoying quips and too much personal info about Andy. Sorry, Andy, I'll read your blog to find out your opinion about Battlestar Galactica or the Simpsons, but I don't want it in a book about how to use an iPod. No offense, just not interested. Also, Andy played a bit fast and loose with disclosure on the risks of copyrights. It may be his opinion that some things should be legal, but in the murky legal environment today, more warnings of the risks of copying copyrighted materials should have been discussed.

Just like diamond surrounded by unimpressive coal, there are true gems in the book that I was able to immediately put to use. For example. Andy discussed programs for the Mac and PC that allow you to digitize to voice your emails and sync them with your iPod. I definitely downloaded some of his great tools and now I can laugh at those iPhone people because my iPod is almost as impressive. Almost. Also Andy does a great job of explaining how to use Automator in Tiger to get some really amazing features of your iPod working for you such as "listening" to a website. Take that iPhone! The most impressive iPod tricks Andy teaches is converting any text file to audio for listening, or simply easily breaking up the file for transport to the iPod. Many of the tricks don't require software, but use some neat ideas Andy has for existing tools such as taking a screen shot of a subway map and then putting it on your iPod.

As stated earlier, I quickly got annoyed by Andy's personal tips and societal opinions. Not tips on how to use your iPod, but tips on various SciFi TV shows. Again, Yawn. The tips interfered with the flow of the book because they were visual annoyance on the page. I expect those sidebars to give me exceptionally useful information. It's Andy's style as the "42nd most beloved industry personality" I'll give him leeway because he is an industry veteran and promoted the "Macquarium," just like I give my grandfather when he tells me story about the war (which one?)

Pros: Great tips to use your iPod to it's absolute potential. Great cure for iPhone envy.
Cons: Andy's style, which gets in the way of the information and artificially increases the length of the book.

Four out of Five Dogcows

Lots of useful information.

I skipped around and used the chapers about transferring DVD to ipod and also learned about TV to ipod via EyeTV. Although I haven't purchased EyeTV since, it seems that all they said about it seems very simple. I enjoyed the random humor throughout. Easy to understand, step by step instructions for everything. I used the instructions for Mac, but a friend also took a peek and used some things for Windows that also worked out well. I think it's a great book for all of us ipod fanatics.

Imagine that you have, on your iPod, music from your old vinyl LPs, audio from cassette tapes, old videos you made or copied from TV, your own audio input, long (book-length if you like) documents, spreadsheets, presentations, your e-mail (in audio form if you prefer), radio programs, RSS news feeds in audio, TV programs, whatever. Yes, all possible, and, even for the techno-challenged, all easy with Ihnatko's visuals and clear step-by-step instructions. In addition to plentiful screen shots and a number of photos of hardware, there are lots of Tips (how-tos you may not know) and Tidbits (info bites), and occasional Trouble (watch-out alerts) sidebars.

Peripherals are essential for most iPodding beyond music; hard/software ranges from $20 to $200, and some, like eBook Creator software/service or apps the Mac contains by default, are free. One of the gifts of this book is frequent explanation of how to smooth the rough spots in your recordings (and the rationale thereof). How to search your eBooks/text docs or how to input text (you can input audio while riding the subway, though) onto your iPod remain futuristic dreams that have nothing to do with Ihnatko's expertise. After all, iPod with voice recorder, memory card slot, and interactive note input/search would no longer be the lean-and-mean iPod we all know and love.

If you want to go high-end, you learn about the $150 analog-to-digital video bridge (ADS Tech's Pyro A/V Link box), or the recommended-for-Mac eyeTV ($199). You can get a RadioShark for $70 ("TiVo for radio") or the "adorably cheap" iMic with Final Vinyl ("everything that GarageBand isn't") for $40, essential for audio recording since the computer's built-in audio is never adequate for more than chat and there is no line-in input. All how-to-use explanations are in the book.

I wanted this book because I need to get old audiocassettes onto my iPod without paying to have them converted to CDs first. Done, Walkman-to-iPod. After reading it, I'm intrigued by lots more iPod possibilities, like conversion of Web pages to audio--my RSS news feeds can go on my iPod via NewsAloud while I shower and have my morning muffin so I can listen to them during my commute, along with the morning's new e-mail (no external utilities and no conversions needed on the Mac).

Ihnatko is copyright-savvy, and distinguishes between copyright and vendor protection, respecting the first and offering work-arounds for the second. He seems to know copyright law inside out, and is clear on what the law and the Supreme Court's interpretation of it allow. He's also clear on what is legally free, and often on how to get it.

The Wiley Web site for this book gives a free download (566K) of Appendix C (not in the book), the "Super Skim," a chapter-by-chapter bulleted summary of the whole book. The full text of the very basic "Startup" Chapter One and the sketchy Index are also available for download.

Serving both Mac and PC users, the book does not belabor either, and the introduction says that the Mac shortcuts will come first, but Windows is always first throughout. It is easy to use it for the Mac with minimal Win distraction, perhaps because the layout is so well done. And, the 10-page Appendix A on using Automator on the Mac is a very welcome section.

Andy Ihnatko is a prolific, multi-interest writer, has long hair, lives in Boston, and is a Mac geek. You may know him from the "MacWorld" back-page column, or his books, forthcoming of which is "The Mac OS X Leopard Book." For now, I have plenty to do with maximizing my iPod to the nth degree, thanks to Andy's "iPod Fully Loaded"!

I skipped around and used the chapers about transferring DVD to ipod and also learned about TV to ipod via EyeTV. Although I haven't purchased EyeTV since, it seems that all they said about it seems very simple. I enjoyed the random humor throughout. Easy to understand, step by step instructions for everything. I used the instructions for Mac, but a friend also took a peek and used some things for Windows that also worked out well. I think it's a great book for all of us ipod fanatics.

Ipod Fully Loaded is a really great book. The writing style is knowledgable, familar, informative and funny all at the same time. The information on utilizing the full potential of an Ipod is giving in easy to absorb bites, with freeware options first and all the legality issues fully addressed at the beginning of the book and at the beginning of each chapter.

Inhatko is a superbly informed apple geek who does not take himself so seriously that he cannot laugh at himself while he is giving us nanobytes of info regarding this popular music, video, podcast, books on tape and Powerpoint, to name few, storage device. The book is excellent and what can be done with an Ipod is even better.

this was a gift - will not comment on product

this was a gift - will not comment on product

I think Apple's best products are those designed to do just one thing. By focusing one one task, the unneccessary complexity and useless features are kept to a minimum. But I was intrigued by this book since my dream is an iPod that also does what a Palm does.

Unfortunately, Steve Jobs does not share my desire for this simple goal. I bought this book thinking there really was a way to expand my iPod's data handling ability. Well, there are ways but as Ihnatko clearly points out they are simply too difficlut to bother with. I give him two stars for being honest about the hassles involved in trying to make an iPod do what its not intended to do.

So...we will have iPods that let you watch Desperate Housewives in 3D, but an iPod with a voice recorder, memory card slot and the ability to make and retrieve notes appears to be an impossible dream. Of course that's not the fault of this book. The fact that its possible to write a 250 page book on how to use a music player is pretty scary.

Title: iPod Fully Loaded
Author: Andy Ihnatko
Publisher: Wiley Publishing, Inc. (2007)
ISBN 978-0-470-04950-1

Reviewed by: Curt Blanchard, Tucson Macintosh Users Group

I've enjoyed Andy Ihnatko's shtick for years and this book is not wanting in that department. In fact, his inanities occasionally get in the way a little here. However, I laughed, I read and I learned - a lot.

This is not your basic How-to-use-an-iPod book, in fact if you're a new iPodder, you'd better get your basics down first. This book is for the iPodophiles who want to expand their horizons beyond mere music. Beyond music on an iPod that is made especially FOR music, you ask? Yes, indeed!

Here are just a few of the things you can do with your iPod. As Ihnatko says, "If you've got it, you can iPod it." He's good at explaining how - and some of it requires lots of patience. OK, it's easy to download music and rip it from CD's but how about from your old tapes and vinyl? How about putting movies from your own DVDs on your video iPod? How about streaming radio? How about TV shows so you can perform mobile time-shifts?

There is a large section of the book devoted to grabbing text of all kinds and adding them to the iPod's Notes file - your daily email, documents, database information and, yes, even spreadsheet information. Speaking of esoteric uses for the iPod, how about converting websites to audio or text files so you can download and listen to the news feeds while driving to work in the morning! How about capturing Internet video on the video iPod?

The book has a good section on backups and also on Automator. Ihnatko is a big fan and provides convincing reasons to open it up and get involved. Many Mac users don't really understand its power and utility.

Andy Ihnatko's witty crazyness kept me reading through entire chapters instead of skipping around they way I normally do with books like this. 275 pages and I read `em all - a First, I think. If you're an addicted iPodder, you'll look at your iPod in an entirely new light after reading this book! Recommended reading.

--Curt Blanchard - 12/5/05