nano-text

Question

Level 1

111 points

nano-text

Is there a way to save a file from Text Edit and get it readable on the nano? Isn't is really strange that an Open Desktop Text file saved by the Apple app can't be read... so I have to save it as Microsoft Word text Document (I haven't bought Pages yet)

Has anyone found a way to unlock the bold text that you see in the Instructions (UNIX executable file that came loaded on the nano?) That would be so much more legible.

And is there a character limit or a line limit? Most things I want to put in there are all chopped off.

Oh yeah - it would be nice to have it sync text like photos.

iMac G5, Mac OS X (10.5.1), 1G, new keyboard, 3rd Gen nano 4G, iMac G4 DV

Posted on Sep 18, 2008 4:06 AM

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Answer 1

Stanton

Level 3

734 points

Sep 18, 2008 8:57 AM in response to jarmeeder18

This is your lucky day: here are tools I use to create/edit Notes (text files) on my iPod:

1) Read this "iPod Notes Guide" to see all the things you can do with Notes on your iPod ( http://images.apple.com/ipod/ipodtours/pdf/iPodNoteReaderGuide.pdf)
2) Use "iGadget" (www.ipodsoft.com) to organize & edit (including the 4k size limit) Notes in addition to many other things (like exporting songs).

Enjoy.

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Answer 2

Sep 18, 2008 9:01 AM in response to Stanton

But technically, the answer to your question is no, unfortunately, TextEdit itself cannot save in plain text format.

You could use any of the utilities already named, or Bare Bones' TextWrangler, or you could even throw a text editor together in Xcode with surprisingly little effort.

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Answer 3

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Sep 18, 2008 10:34 AM in response to jarmeeder18

Is there a way to save a file from Text Edit and get it readable on the nano?

Sure.
Save it as Plain text. Choose Format > Make Plain Text.

You can use a few html commands to make bold and links to other text notes (see Stanton's post).

Notes can be as large as you want but only the first 4kB is shown on the iPod.

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Answer 4

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Sep 18, 2008 10:35 AM in response to Dont-Use-This-Forum

TextEdit itself cannot save in plain text format.

Sure it can.
Choose Format > Make Plain Text

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Answer 5

jarmeeder18 Author

Level 1

111 points

Sep 21, 2008 6:17 PM in response to jarmeeder18

Oh - it's up in the Format Menu!!! oooohhh! Then the SaveAs options change! Wow Apple - you get a ding in the intuitive department.

4k is the limit I heard - so it's just space. What a silly way to go. So my 4G iPod has to have text files split up into 4k pieces. Huh? Why?

So does anything unlock the Bold font like the original Instructions files that was shipped on it?

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Answer 6

jarmeeder18 Author

Level 1

111 points

Sep 21, 2008 6:21 PM in response to jarmeeder18

Oh whoops you answered the bold story - HTML huh? Guess I've got to go learn what the trick is for bold...

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Answer 7

jarmeeder18 Author

Level 1

111 points

Oct 6, 2008 2:52 AM in response to jarmeeder18

Wow! they don't make this easy... I was able to stumble through how to use HTML to get ebay postings to change to a bold font; but apparently that's not implemented here.

The <INSTRUCTIONS> at the top of the UNIX Executable file seems to be the only thing in there. So maybe this is a code that they put in the file so that it pulls the rest of the text from somewhere else.

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Answer 8

jarmeeder18 Author

Level 1

111 points

Oct 7, 2008 3:33 AM in response to jarmeeder18

I've got more questions about the 4k limit... when you look at the files on the iPod they are ALL 16k regardless of how big they were before you copied them there. So what gives there? I guess I'll have to read more of that document.

Just for fun I edited the <INSTRUCTIONS> in that file with the vi editor and changed it to <TEST>
leaving it as a UNIX executable file and without changing anything else. The iPod displayed: <TEST>
interesting huh...

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Answer 9

jarmeeder18 Author

Level 1

111 points

Oct 14, 2008 4:08 AM in response to jarmeeder18

Can someone give me an example of some HTML like text that works on a 3rd gen nano?

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Answer 10

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Oct 14, 2008 8:35 AM in response to jarmeeder18

As mentioned above, download the iPod Note Features Guide at -> http://developer.apple.com/ipod/

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