IPod Workarounds
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about performing iPod workarounds, viruses and spyware for Macs with Intel processors and using multiple firewalls.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Q: Last week, you recommended using add-on software to allow the copying of music from an iPod to a PC, and the creation of multiple music libraries in iTunes. Aren't there ways to do these tasks without extra software?
A: Yes, and many readers wrote to remind me of them. I knew about them, but I didn't mention them because they have drawbacks and may not be easy for nontechnical users.
It's possible to use an iPod to copy all your music to a second computer if you enable the iPod for use as a disk, then go into Windows Explorer or the Macintosh Finder and copy all your music files to the portion of your iPod's disk that shows up as an open drive. This "drive" is whatever part of your iPod's hard disk that's available after you load it with music using the iTunes software. Then, you can reverse the process on the second computer.
The trouble with this method is that it assumes a fair knowledge of your computer's file system, and it only works if the iPod has enough free space to hold two complete copies of your music library (or you are willing to perform the procedure multiple times). Also, unlike many of the utility programs for copying music from an iPod, this method can't synchronize the transferred music with iTunes.
You can create multiple iTunes music libraries on a shared computer, either Windows or Mac if you set up separate log-ins, or user accounts, for each iPod owner who uses the computer. However, this approach requires you to switch accounts every time you want to sync a different iPod, changing the whole layout of the machine. And, unless you are a sophisticated user, you may need to store duplicate copies of any songs multiple users want to include in their libraries.
So, I stand by my suggestion that until Apple adds these functions, the best way to carry them out is by using add-on software. It's simple, and it works. In general, I prefer simple, direct utility programs to work-around methods that require more knowledge of the computer than many average users possess.
Q: Now that Apple is building new Macs with the same Intel chips used in Windows PCs, will the Macs become vulnerable to the viruses and spyware that attack Windows computers?
A: Viruses and spyware are written to work in a specific operating system, not on a particular processor or chip. In the consumer market, all known successful viruses and spyware programs -- tens of thousands of them -- are written to work in Windows. So far, there have been zero reported viruses and spyware programs, outside of the lab, that run on the Apple operating system, called Mac OS X. Apple is continuing to use Mac OS X on the new Intel-powered models. Windows viruses and spyware can't run in this Mac operating system -- even if you download them -- regardless of which chip Apple uses under the hood.
I assume somebody will eventually write a few viruses or spyware programs that can penetrate the Mac operating system, if only to say he or she has done so. But that has nothing to do with Intel chips. And, even then, security should remain a minor issue for Mac users.
There is one exception to this scenario. The use of Intel processors may make it easy, for the first time ever, to run Windows on a Mac. If that happens, then the machines would be vulnerable to Windows viruses and spyware -- but only if and when you run Windows on them.
Q: I use Norton Internet security 2005 and have its firewall turned on. Can I also, at the same time, use the firewall that comes with Windows XP?
A: I don't recommend running multiple firewall software. Doing so is unlikely to give you extra protection, and the firewalls can clash with each other. For instance, each firewall may keep different lists of what kinds of outbound Internet connections to allow, and may treat incoming traffic differently.
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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
iPod下载方法
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关如何将iPod音乐复制到电脑上、Mac机是否易受Windows病毒袭击和运行多个防火墙等问题。
问：你曾建议使用附加软件把iPod里的音乐复制到电脑上，并在iTunes里创建多个音乐库。难道没有不用另外的软件就能完成这些任务的方法吗？
答：有的，许多读者都来信提醒我。我知道有，但我并没有提起它们，是因为它们存在缺陷，非技术用户使用起来可能不大容易。
如果你把iPod当作硬盘，然后找到Windows Explorer或Macintosh Finder，将你所有的音乐文件复制到iPod硬盘上显示为开放驱动器的部分，这样你就可能利用iPod将所有的音乐复制到另一台电脑上。这个“驱动器”是在你使用iTunes软件将音乐下载到iPod上之后，iPod硬盘上可用的任何部分。然后，你就可以在另一台电脑上按相反的程序下载音乐文件。
这种方法存在一个问题，它假设对你电脑里的文件系统有相当的了解，且只有在iPod具备足够的闲置空间，可以容纳两个完整的音乐库副本（除非你愿意把上述程序重复多次）的情况下才能起作用。此外，和许多用来从iPod上复制音乐的实用程序不同，这种方法不能和iTunes同步处理被传输的音乐文件。
你可以在一台共享的电脑上，无论Windows还是Mac，创建多个iTunes音乐库，只需为使用这台电脑的每个iPod机主设置单独的登录或用户帐号。不过，这种方法要求你在每次想同步处理一个不同的iPod的时候更换帐户，从而改变机器的全部设置。除非你是个经验丰富的用户，否则你可能需要存储多个用户想纳入其各自音乐库的任何歌曲的副本。
因此，我坚持我的看法，除非苹果增加这些功能，否则最佳的下载方式就是使用附加软件。它简单而有效。一般来说，我青睐于简单、直接的实用程序，而不是那些要求比许多普通用户对电脑更为了解的绕来绕去的方法。
问：既然苹果电脑现在开始使用和Windows电脑同样的英特尔芯片来打造其新款Mac机，那么Mac机会不会容易受到攻击Windows电脑的病毒和间谍软件的影响？
答：病毒和间谍软件是写在特定的操作系统里，而不是处理器或芯片上。在消费者市场上，所有已知成功的病毒和间谍软件－－成千上万－－都是写在Windows里的。迄今为止，在实验室以外，还没有运行在苹果操作系统Mac OS X上的病毒和间谍软件的报告。苹果新推出的基于英特尔芯片的电脑将继续采用Mac OS X。不管苹果使用哪种芯片，Windows电脑的病毒和间谍软件都无法在Mac操作系统里运行－－即便你下载了它们。
我认为，某些人最终会写些能够渗入Mac操作系统的病毒和间谍软件程序。但这和英特尔芯片毫无关系。即便到那时，安全仍只应是Mac电脑用户的一个小问题而已。
有一个例外的情形。使用英特尔处理器可能使用户在Mac机上很容易运行Windows，这可是从来没有过的。如果是这样，那么Mac机将容易受到Windows病毒和间谍软件的攻击－－但只是当你在Mac机上运行Windows的时候。
问：我使用了Norton Internet security 2005，并打开了它的防火墙。我可以同时使用Windows XP自带的防火墙吗？
答：我不建议运行多个防火墙软件。这样做不可能给你额外的保护，而防火墙之间可能还会互相冲突。比如说，每个防火墙允许的互联网连接的种类可能各不相同，而且对流入的流量可能予以不同处理
