I am rediscovering my relationship with my iPhone.
After my laptop was stolen at the beginning of the summer, and I got a new computer, I was afraid to sync my iPhone. Being sometimes prone to luddite-esque tendencies, my big transformation from CDs to MP3 (iPod) several years ago resulted in my music library being split between several locations, including one external drive! So I was afraid to plug in my up-to-date iPhone into a new computer and lose everything. Consequently, I had been walking
After my laptop was stolen at the beginning of the summer, and I got a new computer, I was afraid to sync my iPhone. Being sometimes prone to luddite-esque tendencies, my big transformation from CDs to MP3 (iPod) several years ago resulted in my music library being split between several locations, including one external drive! So I was afraid to plug in my up-to-date iPhone into a new computer and lose everything. Consequently, I had been walking
around for the past six months unable to download photos, save newly purchased music or update apps properly. Although I fully intended to address the issue and learn what the problem was so that I could correct it, time slipped away from me, and apart from begging a dear friend who obligingly figured out how to extract all my music from my iPod and put it in one place on my computer, I never got any further. The fear of losing everything if I dared to plug that little white cord into one end of my MP3 player persisted!
My problem increased in complexity, as I proceeded to live entirely off my iPhone, downloading new music and apps directly to iPhone, and taking and emailing photos to myself from the iPhone. The gap between syncs grew, and nothing new on my iPhone was backed up. I was living dangerously.
Finally, over the holidays, I managed to book an appt with the friendly folks at the Mac Store. My genius bar appts (there were two, actually, in one day, bookending a 4-hour visit to the mall, during which I downloaded, backed up and synced/sunk/stunk!) were frustrating but ultimately helpful. I now have the most updated version of iTunes on my phone AND my laptop, and my phone and computer both feature identical music, customized labels and the playlists. I even have everything backed up in ONE location, rather than scattered about between laptop, cyberspace and various data keys and external hard drives!
Because my musical collection had grown significantly since my last sync, a challenge that arose was that not everything would fit on my iPod. Unwilling to give up Ms. Pacman, a riveting virtual Cookie Game, or several German-language apps for kids, I began the arduous task of sifting through several decades of music… some of this stuff had been dubbed to tape and transferred to electronic format GAWD only knows how by some tech-savvy friend of mine a few years back!!! And there were several albums that had been gratuitously added to my collection by still another friend who was convinced that I needed to expand my musical tastes to include power pop (YUCK!) and country (double yuck!)
I cut mercilessly, reducing my musical treasures by several gigs. Megs. Whatever. It now all fits!
One advantage to pouring over collections of long-ago forgotten material is that you get to revisit old favourites and discover new ones , like the other 9 pieces on the album you bought for the one hit 23 years ago!!!
This morning while riding, my headphones fed the lovely strains of Pat Metheny’s “In Her Family” into my ears. Later, I enjoyed several live versions of Rush’s “The Trees”. The after my iPhone operation, The National Russian Orchestra penetrated my living room with 27 “Balalaika Favourites”, and shortly thereafter, I located Duke Ellington’s jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”.
Cleaning out your music collection can be as cathartic as clearing out your closet, and – I would argue – more rewarding!
My problem increased in complexity, as I proceeded to live entirely off my iPhone, downloading new music and apps directly to iPhone, and taking and emailing photos to myself from the iPhone. The gap between syncs grew, and nothing new on my iPhone was backed up. I was living dangerously.
Finally, over the holidays, I managed to book an appt with the friendly folks at the Mac Store. My genius bar appts (there were two, actually, in one day, bookending a 4-hour visit to the mall, during which I downloaded, backed up and synced/sunk/stunk!) were frustrating but ultimately helpful. I now have the most updated version of iTunes on my phone AND my laptop, and my phone and computer both feature identical music, customized labels and the playlists. I even have everything backed up in ONE location, rather than scattered about between laptop, cyberspace and various data keys and external hard drives!
Because my musical collection had grown significantly since my last sync, a challenge that arose was that not everything would fit on my iPod. Unwilling to give up Ms. Pacman, a riveting virtual Cookie Game, or several German-language apps for kids, I began the arduous task of sifting through several decades of music… some of this stuff had been dubbed to tape and transferred to electronic format GAWD only knows how by some tech-savvy friend of mine a few years back!!! And there were several albums that had been gratuitously added to my collection by still another friend who was convinced that I needed to expand my musical tastes to include power pop (YUCK!) and country (double yuck!)
I cut mercilessly, reducing my musical treasures by several gigs. Megs. Whatever. It now all fits!
One advantage to pouring over collections of long-ago forgotten material is that you get to revisit old favourites and discover new ones , like the other 9 pieces on the album you bought for the one hit 23 years ago!!!
This morning while riding, my headphones fed the lovely strains of Pat Metheny’s “In Her Family” into my ears. Later, I enjoyed several live versions of Rush’s “The Trees”. The after my iPhone operation, The National Russian Orchestra penetrated my living room with 27 “Balalaika Favourites”, and shortly thereafter, I located Duke Ellington’s jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”.
Cleaning out your music collection can be as cathartic as clearing out your closet, and – I would argue – more rewarding!
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