She has an iPod, the iPod Touch, to be precise. It's the same general design and innards as an iPhone, lacking the cell radio and, as mentioned, camera.

In all seriousness, something is wrong with your computers. Even iTunes on a PC doesn't normally take that long to sync an iPod.

Apple.com has user forums. I would strongly suggest that either you or she find the correct forum and ask for some help in solving that problem.

You are a troll. This is obvious to the most casual of observers. One should not feed the trolls. Yet, here I go again.

Drop files on the iTunes icon. Drop iDevice in its cradle. Synchronizing is automatic.

How is this a hassle?

"Have you ever used iTunes on windows?"

<adamsavage>"Well, THERE'S your problem!"</adamsavage>

"the iTouch2 will lock itself to the PC for like 4 hours"

<adamsavage>"PC? Well, THERE'S your problem!</adamsavage>

WTF is an "iTouch"? Sounds like some kind of sex toy.

Is she trying to sync a sex toy to iTunes?

<adamsavage>"Well, THERE'S your problem!</adamsavage>

What's the DISADVANTAGE of Apple here?

You call iTunes "bloatware". Yes, it IS somewhat larger than SoundJam MP, the application Apple bought and renamed iTunes.

Of course, SoundJam was written when System 7 was the current OS and Power PC Macs had yet to break the 100 Mhz barrier, so I guess that now since iTunes is also a video player/fileserver/music player/ebook reader, a little extra code is to be expected.

Look, it's obvious that you don't like Apple. Just come out and say it and then everyone will know where you stand and you can go back to messing with Linux or Windows or whatever it is you're running.

I still have SoundJam running, by the way.

It's on my PhotoShop/Graphics "workstation", a G3 beige "Desktop" I rescued from the trash pickup over in Cambridge (MA) some years ago. I would have left it, but I noticed the "Powered by Sonnett" sticker on the front. The owner pulled the original 266 Mhz G3 CPU and replaced it with a 500 Mhz G4.

OS 9 blazes on this Mac, as does Photoshop, Graphic Converter and the other applications I use for my modest graphic editing needs.

I mainly use SoundJam for its streaming audio feature while I'm working on that Mac.

I guess so, I know that I can sync while using the web and talking on the phone and downloading Torrents/USENET.

Of course, the phone I'm using is this one on my desk.

Vista warned you when you were about to erase everything on your iPod?

Sweet!

"I've heard of this old fashioned wires thing from my grandpa. It's still in use today? Awesome."

Yes, Yes, it is. Fast, secure, error-free data transfer, even when the microwave oven on the other side of the wall is cooking something.

Plus, battery recharge as the transfer is taking place.

"Okay, move the goal post, it won't make a difference."

I repeated what I stated the first time. If you call that moving the goalpost, there that cognition issue of yours acting up again.

"I can copy the contents of my player to my phone, another computer, or make backups onto a dvd, or, or, or."

As can I. In fact, I can eliminate the whole player aspect and do it all in iTunes. Or just navigate to, and copy/move/burn, any and all items in the folders where the originals are kept. Actually, I just click on the aliases of those folders I have on the desktop to get at the files.

"sig: sauer"

I see what you did there.

Kudos.

Yes, actually.

If you can't be bothered to proofread what you just wrote, we certainly CAN be bothered to mock you unmercifully.

The Internet is no place for the weak, the stupid, or the inattentive.

"I buy an album of MP3 songs from Amazon. I drag and drop the folder onto the device icon. The songs are copied to the generic device. Again, seamless to the generic player."

iTunes automatically syncs the new files (music, audiobooks, video, what have you) to the iPod/Phone/Pad when the device is connected, either via the included USB to connector cable or when dropped into the cradle.

All I have to do is drop the folder onto the iTunes icon and walk away, knowing that when I drop the iWhatever into its cradle, the transfer is automatic.

If you call that 'Apple holding my hand', you have some cognitive issues that need addressing.

Yes. Yes, it does. IF you read and comprehend what the text in the dialog boxes are trying to tell you.

I should add, just because I am a bit OCD that way, I also moved all my music from SoundJam MP on a System 7 PPC Mac TO the 5500/225, running OS8 (and eventually OS9.2.1 (thank you, OS 9 Helper)) and on that Mac, moved the SoundJam MP library to iTunes.

Didn't drop a bit during the move to iTunes.