Buying a used iPod from someone...

[Mario8672]

I'm buying a used iPod from a friend of mine. I wanted to know if it would work on MY computer. Or does it work on ANY computer? (he has a Windows, I have a Mac)

[SatCure]

It would help to know which Mac and which iPod. The video iPods work only with a USB (pref USB2) connection, which earlier Macs don't have. Earlier iPods work fine via Firewire, but you have to buy the cable separately. Very early iPods came with a Firewire cable (but most PC users would throw them away).

[Mario8672]

I have a very new iMac (in my sig.) and the iPod nano, is from the generation RIGHT before these new coloured ones. But I heard something like, in order to use an iPod on another computer, first the original user must "deauthorize" their iPod, so it can be used with another computer :S.

[nixgeek]

I assume if you reformat the iPod using iTunes, it wouldn't matter since it would be as if you bought the device new (according to the iTunes software).

[SatCure]

Ah, I assumed you were asking about connectivity. Just use iTunes to reformat it. It will be fine. (I bought one last week and did that).

[lbj]

And honestly, you don't even need to re-format. As soon as you connect it to your computer it will ask if you want to "associate" this iPod with this computer. Selecting yes will change the association (and delete any songs from your friends library).

The de-authorizing stuff has to do with purchased iTunes songs. A song may only be authorized to5 computers at once, hence the need to de-authorize any old computers.

[SatCure]

Mine ran very slowly with Windows formatting.

[nixgeek]

Yeah, there are certain features that you miss on the Mac version of iTunes when the iPod is formatted for PC. Thing tend to run more transparently when it's formatted for Macintosh.