Turning off sync... deletes everything????? Huh?

Question

Turning off sync... deletes everything????? Huh?

I don't really need to re-sync my iPhone apps over and over again.
(Since I haven't changed anything.)

But when I try to turn off syncing (unchecking the 'sync apps' box)... iTunes 7.7.1.11 warns me that I'm about to DELETE ALL my apps from my PHONE.

Huh? I don't want to delete anything, anywhere.

Why can't I simply 'don't sync anymore'... and just leave everything else
exactly as it is???

Wow. Can't I control what I delete/keep, instead of "we will destroy everything for you, whether you want to, or not"?

Who designs software like that????

iPhone 3G, Windows XP Pro

Posted on Aug 3, 2008 9:21 AM

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Answer 1

Tones3

Level 1

20 points

Aug 3, 2008 9:27 AM in response to New-Apple-Guy

Why are you plugging-in your iPhone if you don't want to sync it? Just to charge it? If so, it's better to plug it into an outlet anyway - it charges much faster.

Tony

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Answer 2

Aug 3, 2008 9:33 AM in response to Tones3

Why are you plugging-in your iPhone if you don't want to sync it?

I only wanted to turn off syncing for "apps"... but still sync other groups.

Either way... isn't "turn off app sync" very different from "I want to destroy everything"????

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Answer 3

Tones3

Level 1

20 points

Aug 3, 2008 9:44 AM in response to New-Apple-Guy

New-Apple-Guy wrote:

Why are you plugging-in your iPhone if you don't want to sync it?

I only wanted to turn off syncing for "apps"... but still sync other groups.

Either way... isn't "turn off app sync" very different from "I want to destroy everything"????

Well, when you uncheck "sync applications" on the app tab, it assumes that you don't want the apps on your device and deletes them. Note that if you keep it checked, it will only sync apps that CHANGED since the last update - meaning it will do nothing if no apps have changed. What's wrong with this default behavior? - it seems to make sense to me. What am I missing?

You can also choose to manually sync everything for the first tab's checkbox.

Tony

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Answer 4

Aug 3, 2008 10:14 AM in response to Tones3

Well, when you uncheck "sync applications" on the app tab, it assumes that
you don't want the apps on your device and deletes them.

That's exactly it. These should NEVER be assumed as the same:

Don't sync anything in the future.
Destroy all your apps on your iPhone.

I've designed a lot of software over the past 15 years... and I have NEVER
made a 'sync on/off button' that assumes 'oh, he means delete everything'.

"Delete" and "don't sync anything new" are NOT the same.
In iTunes... they mean the same... and (apparently) can't be avoided.

Or can it? Can I SEPARATELY decide "turn off future syncing" from "delete everything I own"?

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