ipod: unusual problem

ipod: unusual problem

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I am a self-employed management consultant. About a year ago, some one gave me my first ipod. I slung it into a drawer, as I have no interest in music. It has been suggested to me that, as I travel a lot by train, it would make sense to load the ipod with material relating to tax and accounting updates, language lessons etc. , so that I can listen to these while travelling. I have no idea how to do this. Is it possible, and, if so, does anyone offer a service of this kind for a fee?
DH

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By User deleted
26th Dec 2008 15:29

Final outcome
Many thanks to everyone who gave advice on this matter.
I was surprised that the question proved so controversial, as I was merely asking if a particular service was available anywhere for a fee.
I thought the respondents would now be interested to have 'closure', as the Americans like to say!
I thought the best advice was to offer it to a charity. I duly did this, but they refused it, on the grounds that it is an 'electrical' item, and charities do not accept such items. I finally gave it to a friend who runs a local jumble sale. He tells me that ,as it is 15 months old, it has been superseded by two newer models, and will probably fetch no more than a fiver.
I still believe that there is a gap in the market, and that non-techie people like myself would be happy to pay for an ipod which comes ready-loaded with items that meet our needs.

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By User deleted
18th Nov 2008 07:53

Simple? Really?
I was interested to see in a bookshop yesterday a book which purports to explain how to use an ipod to people who are not computer-literate. It runs to over 400 pages!

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By listerramjet
17th Nov 2008 17:29

what is frustrating?
I have made a mental note that should I require the services of a management consultant then one of the myriad basic skills I will require is that he/she/it can set up and use an ipod.

BTW for £500 I will happily provide the service you require. I should perhaps mention up front that I will be delivering the instructions in a podcast, although for £1000 I would be prepared to provide it over youtube.

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By Swiss Toni
17th Nov 2008 15:32

Re

Hi yes hi hello,

I too have been thinking about buying Mrs Toni a Walkman for Christmas, however these I-Dop's have caught my attention. I like many think technology is a wonderfull thing, i would hate to think how i would survive without my blue teeth, blueburry or flap flop.

Goodnight.

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By AnonymousUser
17th Nov 2008 13:53

Enjoyable link ...
.. but I'm afraid you are deluded about the importance of shiny things.

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By Fred Hoad
17th Nov 2008 10:48

Stephen
I think you have missed the point slightly. Purposefully or not I don't know.

People go to new technology because they are progressive and see new idea's as valuable and are willing to give it a go. If it works, then fine, if it doesn't, then at least they have tried.

Honestly, some of the people on here who seem to be suggesting that those of us who like technology are being insulting to those that don't give it a try, are perhaps on a similar level to those who would have shunned the invention of fire, perhaps preferring to wear an extra animal skin and eat cooked food. They are almost celebrating being primitive. Which brings me nicely to:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Also, what is the phrase? Something about those who sit still are actually going backwards.

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By AnonymousUser
16th Nov 2008 13:33

How dare people spread there techno misery!
Have you not watched TV (or your podcasts) in the last few years? Do you see lots of programs about how people with simple uncomplicated lives trying desperately to break in to corporate life and 24/7 communications?! Have channel 4 aired 'Escape to the city' recently without me noticing? My God, even Paris Hilton tried the 'Simple Life' ... Ok not a good example!

The point is serious, however. There are those who believe all technology is good (as long as it's new). That to get ahead in business you must embrace it or face being washed up on the shore of technophobia. That those who don't appreciate the new 8 year old interface of the I-phone must be .. well 7 I guess. It's all nonsense of course!

Firstly business. Its about attracting customers and giving them want they want at a price that suits you both. Always has been always will be. I am an accountant not a brain surgeon and therefore it is unlikely that any client will actually die if they can't contact me outside of the office hours. Outside of office hours I am therefore relaxed and don't think about work. When I am on a train I read a book or newspaper and when I am in the car I listen to the radio. I have as many clients as I need thanks.

On technology. Use the bits which are useful and disregard what is not. Computers are great as they save lots of mundane work. The internet is a fantastic research tool. A mobile phone I could do without but even I concede is a useful thing in an emergency. Most of the other stuff probably does not enhance our lives. Phones that take pictures, send email, host all your music ... not getting it I'm afraid! Never seen a good photo from a phone (why take bad ones?). Email .. its a work thing .. plenty of time for that in office hours. Music .. like to sit in a comfy chair and listen, so might as well use the very good hi-fi at home thanks.

So, don't believe the bull about what you MUST have to survive in business (or life) ... it is peddled by people trying to sell the technology normally! Descriminate and reject that which does not make you happier. There will always be a quicker way to do everything but sometimes there is pleasure in taking your time ... sounds like a cue for Swiss Toni!

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By keith.donovan
14th Nov 2008 18:00

I still think you should give it a go yourself
DH, I think the exasperation (I don't see anger) is probably the same as that occasioned by people who, for example, buy ready-made custard or ready-mashed potatoes and say they couldn't, or don't have the time to, do the job themselves.

I don't have a problem with your wanting to hive off what you seem to see as techno-drudgery. However I would join those who urge you to spend the short time it will take you to learn to do it yourself, because then you will be able to see the entire range of what is possible rather than just paying someone to load a few podcasts for you. Your iPod sat in your drawer for some time because you thought it was only useful for music; I doubt that you now have a full appreciation of what you could do with it / it might do for you.

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By User deleted
13th Nov 2008 16:58

'Simply'
Sounds so easy! Paul Soper says 'simply connect it to PC'. In my experience, that is where the problems begin, unless you have the very latest equipment. Downloading takes for ever. No wonder DH wants to get someone to do it for him!

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Rebecca Benneyworth profile image
By Rebecca Benneyworth
13th Nov 2008 18:15

The Archers on podcasts
saves my life. If i miss loads I just stack em up on my ipod and have a whole day of it doing the ironing. Bliss! (and free) Don't give up DH. Where are you? If near Glos I'll send one of my 4 teenagers round to sort you out! It'll take them a short time and for £20 they would be thrilled.

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By Paul Soper
13th Nov 2008 14:18

podcasts... and ipods
Couple of points - one of the beauties of the ipod is that it can be set up to work completely automatically, simple connect it to host PC or Mac and new podcasts etc will be downloaded completely automatically. DH needs to find a younger relative who will for cash set this up. Then plug in, turn on and enjoy.

Leo criticised Betamax - although the broadcasting industry still uses Betamax as a standard for a lot of high end video work because it was and still is better than VHS. However this simply goes to prove that superior systems rarely become industry standard - as demonstrated by PCs and Macs.

Oh - and if you want some taxation podcasts that are not simply a puff for HMRC or big firms try me...

Go to web.mac.com/paulsoper - a new series is going to added next month...

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By Dave Paveley
13th Nov 2008 14:07

I'm no technophobe, but..

..aside form putting the damn thing in my pocket, there is little (if anything) an iphone can do that I cannot already do just as easily (probably more so) sat at my desk.

I'm all for people being able to work on the move but I hardly think the fact that I prefer to do my work in the office and read the paper on the train makes me out of touch with today's business world!

;)

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By User deleted
13th Nov 2008 14:06

I agree with everyone
But surely the market always has the final say.

If you buy some furniture from IKEA, you can easily find someone to come round to your house and assemble it. It sems to be an established way to make a few bob, and good luck to the people that do it.

But DH can't find someone to load his iPod, not even for ready money.

I really don't what this means, but one possible explanation is that lots of people find it hard to assemble IKEA furniture, whereas almost everyone can load an iPod.

BTW I don't own an iPod, but this is because I have developed some bad habits over the years. I like to concentrate when driving. I read books on trains. And I people-watch, or nature-watch when I'm out and about on foot. Someone rabbiting or playing music right in my earhole tends to distract me.

So I think that what I'm saying is that DH and I could do the iPod thing if we wanted. But we don't want to that much.

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By RogerNeale
13th Nov 2008 13:55

DH - do not dispair

As an IT technician and business systems consultant with 26 years experience, I can fully appreciate your situation DH.

I have a number of clients running successful businesses who won't even put a CD in a drive because they don't want to get involved.
They might use computers in their daily work but they use them like an electrician might use a screwdriver or a like mechanic might use a spanner, as a tool to do a job.

Importantly, they have "real" work to do rather than messing around with things that they don't know anything about.

So, DH, I understand completely why you might not want ot do it yourself and, if you'd care to contact me, I'm quite prepared to discuss what can be done for you. I've never turned down an opportunity to earn £500 ;-)

Kind regards

Roger Neale
Business Systems Consultant

Contact me directly on 07714 670 789.

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By Fred Hoad
13th Nov 2008 12:57

A piece of p...
But the point is, iPod's are staggeringly easy to use. As others have said, only the very basic ability to operate a PC is needed to make use of the little wonder that is an iPod.

Frankly, if you did have a go, you will wonder what you were worried about. The biggest question you will have once you have done it, is why on earth can't other software houses produce software that is as straightforward as iTunes, a thought I passed on to Sony Ericsson this last week when I had an issue with the software on my phone which was laughable in it's comparable uselessness (and I know my way around a computer a bit as well!)

As for the understanding of the contemporary business world, an iPhone for example can do:-

1) Calls
2) Texts
3) Pictures
4) Music
5) Video
6) Games
7) Email
8) Internet

All for a couple of hundred pounds in something smaller than your hand. It really is so useful that one day all gadgets will be built that way.

If you don't want to harness that sort of function and convenience then fine, but the reality is that those that do have an advantage.

I mean no disrespect but you could always stick to a paper and pen...

(p.s. and finally, how can you not like music?)

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By User deleted
13th Nov 2008 10:08

Spot on Dave Paveley
The tone of some of these postings says more about the accountancy profession than it does about DH.

If a potential customer comes into your practice and asks for a vat return to be completed, do you tell him it's easy and he should go and learn how to do it himself? No, you provide a professional service for a fee.

If DH wants to pay somebody to do something for him, then why should anybody want to argue with that? No matter whether it's a complex CT600, or set of accounts, or parking the car! If a service is needed then it should be provided.

Quite frankly, I would have thought people would see more value in offering their services on this post rather than attacking poor old DH.

Shame on you!!!

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By Dave Paveley
13th Nov 2008 08:55

I agree with DH

"If you cannot appreciate how the iPod and the internet have changed the way music and professional information are distributed, then I would have to question your understanding of the contemporary business world."

This is just rot.

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By User deleted
13th Nov 2008 08:51

Simplicity is its selling point
I think that the trouble that people are having with your posts is that you are willing to pay £500 for something that is incredibly simple.

The manual for an ipod is very small and there is even a quick start guide.

If you can use a PC then it should take you no longer than 30 mins to be up and running including the time to download any software updates.

iTunes comes on a disc with the iPod or can be downloaded from apple.com. Once you have it, importing CD's is very quick and easy. Then you just connect the iPod to the PC and it will auto synch between the two.

Podcasts can be found on the iTunes store and there are loads of free ones - you can subscribe and set iTunes to automatically check for new podcasts so that all you need to do is then plug the iPod in to the computer.

I update my podcasts every day before going to work and it takes about 10 minutes at the most

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By User deleted
12th Nov 2008 17:53

Unwarranted allegations
I take great exception to what you say, JS. If i were a technophobe, I would not be thinking of using an ipod at all.
I recognise that I am no good at that kind of thing, even though people keep telling me that it's no problem for an 8 -year-old.
I therefore asked if there is any service available whereby someone will set it all up for me. I was prepared to pay up to £500 for such a service, as it would be far more cost-effective than for me to take a week off work struggling with complex manuals.
What is wrong with this? Why have so many respondents, including JS, got so angry with me?
Am I supposed to be a Renaissance man? If , for instance, I want a conservatory built, am I supposed to do it myself, even though my expertise is not building and I am happy to pay an expert to do the job?

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John Stokdyk, AccountingWEB head of insight
By John Stokdyk
12th Nov 2008 15:32

Bite the bullet!
DH - I've been watching this thread for a week or two now and feel that along with all the helpful advice you've been given by other members, I ought to weigh in with a bit of a telling off.

As several people have mentioned, the most successful feature of Apple's iPod is the way in which they've simplified the interface so an 8-year-old child can understand it. If you are not in Groucho Marx's position of being able to find an 8-year-old to help, I would urge you to spend an hour or two reading the iPod manual, searching Google for advice and visiting the iTunes store to see what you can find. The results should more than repay your efforts.

Having mentioned your interest in technical updates and language instruction, you appear to take your training commitments seriously. Aside from being a lot of fun for music & multimedia, the iPod is an extremely useful and flexible learning tool. To twist the old fishing homily, the ready-packaged audio files you are looking for are fish that you can consume for a day or two. The iPod is the fishing rod - once you have learned to use it, you will be able to access more information and training materials for the rest of your life. If your iPod is one of the newer ones that can handle video, Nigel Harris reported this week on a free program that will let you convert DVDs and digital movie clips for viewing on an iPod.

Your technophobic stance is also one that would drive former ICAEW IT faculty chairman Simon Hurst mad (see Is IT accountancy's greatest failure?). Because technology has become so ubiquitous in the business world, it should be an essential element in any of professional adviser's training, he argues.

If you cannot appreciate how the iPod and the internet have changed the way music and professional information are distributed, then I would have to question your understanding of the contemporary business world. Getting to grips with one yourself is a good place to start. If you treat technology as an intellectual/CPD challenge, you will be off on the right foot. And take it from me, it's a lot more logical and less complicated than tax legislation.

Good luck!
John Stokdyk
Technology editor
AccountingWEB.co.uk

PS - If you decide to bin the iPod after all, maybe you could send it to us for an AccountingWEB Christmas charity auction or prize giveaway!

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By User deleted
30th Oct 2008 23:57

Don't give up!
DH,

Don't lose hope just yet, I can see what you're looking for and can help you out if you're still looking for this service. Please call me on 0845 500 5682.

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By User deleted
30th Oct 2008 07:29

I will drop the idea
Many thanks to everyone who replied. As indicated in the original question, I was hoping that there would be a service available for a fee which would do the work for me, without me having to struggle with cables and jargon and instruction manuals. Sadly, there does not seem to be such a service, so I shall forget the whole idea.

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By philrob
27th Oct 2008 16:28

Masses of material available - it is worth persevering
There is masses of material available, but you will have to have iTunes installed on your PC and 'subscribe' to the material through iTunes.

Wake up to Money (BBC)is broadcast between 5:30 and 6:00 (well before I wake up), but by 7:30 ish it has been downloaded to my computer and is available for me to listen to in the car on the way to work.

Lots of BBC shows are available but there is also lots of stuff from universities in the UK and America. These are called podcasts and are available from the iTunes Store front page. Most of the lectures are free of charge.

As an aside, search the web for Randy Pauch and 'The last lecture' and 'Time Management' both of these are worthwhile investments to listen to/watch - particularly if you are in consulting.

Regards

Phil

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By User deleted
27th Oct 2008 08:29

Steven I do not understand how you can say that you do not need one if you do not know what it is.

An ipod is very useful on trains so that you cannot hear bankers talking loudly on their mobiles.

Sorry for the typo - that shouldn't have been a "b".

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By gploosley
25th Oct 2008 12:20

practical help
Hello DH,

I already do this myself and I could help you.

Things you will need:
A Laptop or PC with a working Broadband connection that can open web pages? e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk,
the iPod and
the iPod cable connected to the iPod and the PC.

I will help you install logmein - this is free remote control software that will allow me to work on your PC when you enable it and while you watch. It takes about 10 minutes to set up and we use this to work on clients' PCs all the time.

If you are interested please contact me by email to make arrangements.

Regards,

Graham Loosley
Dynamics NAV | Navision | Omega
[email protected]

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By AnonymousUser
24th Oct 2008 17:45

Ah ... a Walkman
.. now it is all becoming clear! Thank god I moved over to VHS last year ... now that is future proof technology.

Actually I am vaguely aware of Ipods but could never work out a single reason why I would need one. Anyone have any suggestions?


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By User deleted
24th Oct 2008 12:38

Impossible,then
Thanks, folks. Clearly, i am being totally unrealistic. I cannot possibly do the downloading myself; much too complicated. That's why I was hoping that there might be a service which would do it for me for around £300. Seems a good idea to me, but presumably there is no demand.

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By listerramjet
24th Oct 2008 15:18

lessons to learn from 8 year olds
never ever read a manual! If you can't figure it out after 10 minutes of playing with it then throw it away.

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By User deleted
24th Oct 2008 14:07

Generation gap
I accept that 8 year olds find it easy-peasy, but they have 2 big advantages: small fingers and limitless time. A 70 year old friend recently tried to do it himself after buying lots of instruction books. It took him 12 hours sitting at the computer to download 2 items!! He then threw the machine away in disgust.

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By listerramjet
24th Oct 2008 13:39

disappointing
an Ipod is no more than an overpriced mp3 player. the single reason that it is such a sales success is that it is simple to use, and that includes simple to get and load content. Sourcing content will be more complicated than actually getting it into the ipod; but that is only because you have to work out what words to type into a search engine.

DOH

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By User deleted
24th Oct 2008 12:56

I know a man who can
Well my 8 year old son actually.

I will ask him if he will do it for you DH, but he may want a bit more than £300. Would that be OK?

Steve - would you like an explanation of a walkman too ?

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By leoludwig
24th Oct 2008 10:10

Great ideas
Steven, an Ipod is the new walkman :) It's basically a small (sometimes very small) piece of hardware that has a storage capacity allowing you to store audio files (be it music or courses), videos, or photos. You can then view or listen to it while on the move (http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/).

You can easily transfer files from your pc to your ipod with the USB transfer cable that should come with your it.

To put CD's onto your ipod you need to download iTunes (a software from apple). Put your music or language CD in the PC disc drive and open/read it with iTunes. Select the tracks you want to transfer, right click on them and select convert to AAC. Once this is done, you can pug your ipod in the transfer cable and it will get synchronised with your iTunes library.

If you don't have CD's, you can find free podcasts (a contraction of the words ipod and broadcast - audio/video files especially designed for ipods) in the itunes store or by using google.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards

Leo
----------
Accountant Websmiths

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By AnonymousUser
24th Oct 2008 08:49

One question ...
what's an Ipod?

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By User deleted
23rd Oct 2008 19:26

sure can
you can transfer your (language) cds onto the ipod (via your pc) It's pretty easy (you may need to get some software from i-tunes site)......but it works very well. Don;t think you need to pay somebody to do it, unless you have money to burn!

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