Updater and music transfer

Hello, Brian.

1) I'd install the original software first, then look for an updater - that's not an authoritative answer, though.

2) As far as the use of iTunes goes, I think there are other applications out there, so long as you don't want to use the iTunes Music Store. (I don't, myself.) The Windows Media Player isn't one of those compatible applications, though.

As far as to whether you can use your exisiting music on the shuffle (after getting it into iTunes or compatible application) - it's going to depend on the file format. The shuffle will use MP3s, AACs, WAVs, and Audilbe (some of the formats) - it won't use wma files.

As to whether the newest updater has fixed all the problems people have seen - I doubt it. In my own case, it seems to have made better but not eliminated the problem of the shuffle freezing. It also introduced an issue I'd never seen before - the thing came out of pause once with zero volume; a reset fixed it, but I'd never seen that before.

Good luck

srb

1) I personally would just get the latest itunes and ipod updater off the apple site as the ones on the CD are bound to be out of date. You need to download and then run the updater, then connect your shuffle when asked.

2) you have to use iTunes to load the shuffle. However you can leave your song files where they are and just add them to the itunes library as long as they are in a compatible format (eg mp3)(all this will do is create an itl database file in teh itunes folder that tracks where your music is for itunes purposes). Make sure when you load itunes that under edit>preferences>advanced tab you uncheck the two boxes let itunes organize your library and add file to itunes library when importing (quoting from memory so check verbiage)If you do not then iTunes will creatye its own folder set up for your music and make copies of all teh files you add to the iTunes library.

On the shuffle issues I personally have never experienced any so can't comment.

Hope that helps

Sony Vaio Windows XP