iPod: The Missing Manual Review

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iPod: The Missing Manual ReviewI read the 2008 edition and there are no worthwhile additions in this version. It still reads like a sales pub from Apple (who probably was subbed to write it) with heavy emphasis on the iTunes Store, all of the different models of iPods, and, of course, the Genius feature, another Apple sales tool. The Genius feature is a brain child of the Apple marketing department, which suggests songs to buy for those people who don't know what they like. There's nothing genius about the feature, it relies on iTunes Store buying patterns. It shows, for instance, that Megadeth buyers also buy Pantera. Do you need to have someone snooping through your collection to tell you that? Now that you know what the Genius feature really is, you don't need to read the manual. Well, maybe some do...
The book fails to enlighten in areas where it could really shine. Smart Playlists are skimmed over on just two pages, most of which, like the rest of the book, is occupied by space-wasting, life-sized screen displays. There are a lot of Smart Playlist examples and tricks that could have been discussed, but nothing is shared. I use Smart Playlists for many purposes, like telling me which songs haven't been backed-up, controlling what goes into complex playlists which show me which songs haven't been played enough; none of this is in the Missing Manual. How about, nesting Playlists or using the ellipsis feature? Nope, not there, though it's shown on a screen capture!
The manual says that you can control the start and stop times of a song after you rip it, but doesn't suggest that you might do so before you rip a CD, which eliminates space-wasting bytes. Another topic may have been how to eliminate unwanted parts in-between the start and end of a song. This can be done either totally within iTunes (the long way) or with the aid of an external utility. But nothing cool like this is in the book.
Everything that you will ever do on iTunes is dependent on the correctness of the data that you put into it. This isn't so much a problem with iTunes Store purchases, but is a real problem with ripped CDs. The information obtained from the GraceNote database is often either missing or incorrect. There are misspelled song, album and artist titles. There are incorrect or missing recording dates and composer names. All of those errors and omissions will mean that your Playlists will be compromised. The astute user will also want to organize music differently depending on whether the song is classical or rock. Nothing this interesting is discussed or even suggested in the manual. These topics would have been the starting point for a good iTunes manual.
The book contains still contains errors, like misdirecting the user of the iPod Classic to access the (worthless) Alarm Clock through the Extras Menu. You have to go through the Clock feature to get to the Alarm which beeps only 2 times before turning off. I can't imagine ever using it and I can't believe that Apple built speakers into the iPod so it could be used.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. If you're a new user, then save yourself some dough and Goggle the Internet for all of the info that you'll ever need to manage your music. If you need a book to get started, then maybe get this, but be aware that there is a lot missing from this manual.
I expected to learn tricks, but instead, felt tricked. Two stars because of the misleading title.iPod: The Missing Manual Overview

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