Software for iPod / iTunes

So what are some good (free) programs out there to be used with an iPod and iTunes? Specifically, what are some good utilities that do the following:

-transfer songs from one's iPod to multiple computers

-convert other video and audio formats into iTunes compatible formats

-that you think might be useful in general

By the way, the programs will be used with Windows XP and the latest version of iTunes. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice.

-TypicallyOffbeat

 

try yamipod or ephpod.

Also what formats would you need converted?

 

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html will convert pretty much any audio and video. A little scary for beginner but really not that bad after playing with it.

Thanks,

Chris

 

some of these might be useful, but maybe not.

this is suppose to be good -
http://www.floola.com/modules/wiwimod/

i use rockbox with my ipod video with this patched build -
http://pijulius.blogspot.com/2006/05/jblackglass-rockbox-themes-ipod-video.html

rockbox has lots of games and you don't need to bother converting audio because it plays lots of formats. i'm not sure how good video is though. i think mplayer can convert most things, if you do a search there's probably some tutorials showing what the commands are. there are lots of online converters too, i used one once and it worked.
http://www.rockbox.org/

 

You should check out the forums at ipodlounge.com, they have a nice software section where users discuss different 3rd party software for Mac and Windows. Also, their main page has a lot of good review for iPod software and hardware.


Forums
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/

Main site
http://www.ilounge.com/

 

Thanks for the suggestions. While downloading the utilities to try them out I was browsing through the ilounge forum and discovered that you can transfer songs from an iPod to any computer with iTunes manually without the use of third party software.

I will test this out later, and assuming it works I will forgo use of any third party software to carry out this task. However, I still need a program to convert other video and audio formats into iPod / iTunes compatible formats. Preferably something intuitive and fairly easy-to-use as my friends will also be using this. Also, it should be universal in scope, as in it should be able to convert most formats. Obviously the program that does this most effectively, as in retains quality and is relatively fast, is preferred. If those two factors, quality and speed, tend to be inversely propotional to one another, as in the faster the program the lesser the quality and vice versa, then the former (quality) is of more importance to me.