iPod Windows <-> Mac ??

I've currently got a 3G iPod which is hooked up to my Windows PC.

However, in the next week-or-so, I'm gonna be ordering an iBook and, as part of the Cram-and-Jam deal, I figured I may as well just get a 4G iPod to go with it

Question #1: Can I easily swap the music from one 'Pod to the other? Most of what's on there are encoded versions of my CDs (around 200) plus a few MP3 - I don't relish the thought of spending more hours re-encoding all those CDs onto my new iPod.

Question #2: When I get the new iPod, I'll primarily use it with the iBook, BUT, is it still possible to use it with my desktop PC?

Cheers guys.

A very excited, soon-to-be, Apple first-timer...

An iPod can only be linked (if thats the right word) to one iTunes... but not one comp if you want to put copies of those songs on your comp, first enable HD use of your 3G find the music library on your PC, copy your entire library to your 3G (probably not all of the indivdual songs seperate, but i don't know because i have never copied them PC to MAC) then plug it in to your Mac... iTunes will open and ask your if you would like to have it fitted to your iBook, click NO. drag your library folder to you music folder. and reopen iTunes it should do the rest, Q2: you can't use your iPod on 2 comps but you can use 2 ipods on one comp....

just curious, what are the specs on you new iBook?

Thanks anarkhy. Although I must admit I'm a bit confused by an iPod can only be linked to one iTunes... but not one comp and then you can't use your iPod on 2 comps but you can use 2 iPods on one comp... - am I misunderstanding or are those two statements contradictory??

I think my original question was not so much a matter as 'will the iPod work with two computers' but more 'will the iPod work with a Mac AND a PC?'. But hey, I'll get to find out soon If I can't use both, it's fine, I'll just use the iBook.

The new iBook I'll be ordering is the 12" model 1GHz G4 with Bluetooth and Airport Extreme card. Think I'll probably uprate the HD to 40GB (don't think I can justify the extra £80 or so when it's only going to be my laptop) and I'll whack the RAM upto 512MB.

you cna format it fat 32 and it will work on your ibook and and pc


but if it is in fat32 ( pc format ) it will appear on your mac as a firewire/usb harddrive
so it wont appear in itunes

but if you format it in hsf ( mac format ) your pc wotn be able to read it

so just make a network drive on your pc and save all your music files there so both computer can access the same music libiary

Don't format your iPod on the PC, at least not as a harddrive!!!

Run the iPod software for Windows on CD, which will of course format your iPod in FAT32, but it will be useable with iTunes on the Mac and the PC. If you simply format it (not using the iPod software) your iPod will only be an external harddrive, to both Mac and PC, not useable with iTunes.