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Random IPod Question

post #1 of 10
9/11/07 at 5:32pm
Thread Starter 
I have a ipod nano with 654 songs on it. I listen to it in my car during a 45 minute drive to work in "random" mode. According to my play count that started on 8-3-07, about 150 songs havent been played yet. But 282 have been played more than once with 33 of them being played 4 or more times. Is there a setting so that it will not repeat a song until they all have been played?
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post #2 of 10
9/11/07 at 7:30pm

Re: Random IPod Question

To my knowledge, the answer is no but I'm no expert on iPods.

This is one of the first things I noticed though when I first got my iPod a while back and I looked into it....had this bookmark saved:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6854309/site/newsweek/
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post #3 of 10
9/11/07 at 8:01pm

Re: Random IPod Question

Easy with a smart playlist: http://screencast.com/t/0YVgdMV1tXi
Then click the Shuffle button for it.

That solved I've got an iPod problem of my own: I have 100 MB to sync but only 20 MB free on my iPod. So it does nothing. It won't even deleted played Podcasts as it should (per my playlist rules). How do I make the iPod / iTunes not be stupid and delete stuff that should be removed before it determines how much free space is available; and then do the best it can with the free space. Currently it just gives up--a total slacker.
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post #4 of 10
9/12/07 at 4:43am
Thread Starter 

Re: Random IPod Question

Thanks for the links.

Carl,
I disagree though with the articles statement:
Quote:
More specifically, when an iPod does a shuffle, it reorders the songs much the way a Vegas dealer shuffles a deck of cards, then plays them back in the new order. So if you keep listening for the week or so it takes to complete the list, you will hear everything, just once.
I have heard the same song twice in a row. Plus who would listen to 48 hours of music straight with out turning it off? I think the next song must be totally at random with out any history taken into account, not even the last song.

DaveF,
I couldn't find that setting that you showed. Itunes 7 has a slide bar that controls how likely songs from the same artist or album are played. Sorry, I haven't messed with pod casts yet.

Dave
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post #5 of 10
9/12/07 at 12:33pm

Re: Random IPod Question

File->New Smart Playlist to get going. Then in the lower left corner of main iTunes window are four buttons: a plus, tow arrows crossing, two arrows in a circle, and down-arrow box. The second one, the arrows crossing, is the shuffle button. Click it to to randomize a playlist.

The setting you found in Preferences is the degree of randomness. But a Playlist is just that. If there's only one copy of a song in the list, you'll only hear it once.

So this'll do what you want.
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post #6 of 10
9/12/07 at 6:00pm

Re: Random IPod Question

Quote:
Originally Posted by drobbins
Thanks for the links.

Carl,
I disagree though with the articles statement: I have heard the same song twice in a row. Plus who would listen to 48 hours of music straight with out turning it off? I think the next song must be totally at random with out any history taken into account, not even the last song.
Dave

I don't think I've ever heard the same song twice in a row, but I've definitely experienced the same problem you have, and have also experienced what the article describes. Most recently with a pair of Zappa tunes which are 2 of over 120 songs on my Nano right now, and both of which have been played the last 3 times I've listended randomly....while I've not heard any of the Steely Dan tracks (2 full albums worth) in random mode. Strange.

I do think what the article says makes sense however. Like flipping a coin and getting heads 70 times out of the first 100 flips. Eventually, tails will catch up, even if it takes days to do it.

I'm going to try DaveF's suggestion.....thanks Dave!
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post #7 of 10
9/13/07 at 6:40am
Thread Starter 

Re: Random IPod Question

Quote:
File->New Smart Playlist to get going. Then in the lower left corner of main iTunes window are four buttons: a plus, tow arrows crossing, two arrows in a circle, and down-arrow box. The second one, the arrows crossing, is the shuffle button. Click it to to randomize a playlist.
Dave F,
Does this get transfered to the ipod or does it just work in itunes?
Dave R.
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post #8 of 10
9/13/07 at 7:27am

Re: Random IPod Question

My experience is a playlist is sorted in your iPod exactly as you see it sorted in iTunes. If you have a PlayList sorted by title, it should be sorted by title in the iPod. Likewise, if it's shown shuffled in iTunes, it will be ordered in the same shuffled way on your iPod.
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post #9 of 10
9/13/07 at 2:49pm

Re: Random IPod Question

Quote:
I have heard the same song twice in a row. Plus who would listen to 48 hours of music straight with out turning it off?
I have an older 3G classic. When you play anything, it will say "1 of 412" or whatever, indicating that it really does just shuffle the list into random order, and play it sequentially. As long as the iPod does not power all the way down, and you don't sync it, it will play the entire list, and not repeat. Doing either resets everything. So in the car, that means using a charger, and play at least once a day, or whatever the limit is before the iPod goes into deep sleep -- the difference between having to boot the iPod to play, and having it play "immediately" when you press Play.

I don't know if your particular model of nano works the same way.
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post #10 of 10
10/30/07 at 9:05am
Thread Starter 

Re: Random IPod Question

Last week, I heard the same song twice in 15 minutes. This morning the ipod played the same song twice in a row. I have the kids as witnesses. I must have a special ipod.
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