by Aniruddha

Created on: October 08, 2009

The first thing that most of the people do after removing the iPod from the package is to connect it to the PC. Though there is no actual harm in doing this, it is not recommended.

If you are not new to iPods, you can choose to skip to "Now to connect your iPod to the PC".

The first and the foremost thing to do is read the users manual. Most of the people skip reading users manual until they face some issues with their product. Reading the users manual as the first thing will avoid you getting into issues in the first place. Make sure that you have received all the accessories that the users manual mentions.

The second thing that should be done before connecting the iPod to your computer is to install the iTunes application. iTunes is a free application that you would have got with your iPod or you can download it from apple website. iTunes is required for transferring and managing your music on your iPod. It will actually transform your music files to the type which is compatible with iPods. Yes, you guessed it right, iPods cannot play MP3 songs directly.

Now to connect your iPod to the PC.

Things you'll need:
- iPod
- USB 2.0 cable or FireWire 400 cable
- PC with high speed USD 2.0 port or FireWire port
- iDock (optional)

1. To connect your iPod to the PC, make sure that your computer is on. You may face booting issues if your PC is set to boot check for external drives to boot and you connect your iPod before starting your PC.

2. You can connect your iPod to the PC using USB 2.0 cable (this should be supplied with the iPod) or FireWire cable. Either of cables works just fine, and there is no better. Connect one end of the wire to your iPod. If you are using iDock, connect to the iDock port. It only fits one way, so if you are not able to fit it easily, try turning the wire so that it fits smoothly.

3. Connect the other end of the wire to the FireWire port or the high speed USB 2.0 port and if everything is set up correctly, you should see iTunes start automatically. If everything is connected properly and still iTunes does not start, it is because your iPod has no charge left. Give it some time to charge, like 5 minutes, and the iTunes will start up.

4. You are now ready to transfer your music to your iPod. You may also choose to charge your iPod this way.

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