Mac users: a question... (Mac only)

I have a question for Mac users using the Fuze… Windows-only users, please read the Disclaimer below before responding.

The  question: Using an Apple Mac running OS X:

Will the Fuze work directly with Apple iTunes (software not the store) without forcing the user to access the device as a storage device via a file management tool?  I don’t want “drag n drop” from a file manager, I want to know if anyone successfully uses iTunes to manage the music, playlists, etc on the Fuze directly.  From Mac OS X.  

If my user cannot use iTunes to manage his library on his machine and Fuze then its a mute point buying the Fuze all together.

Disclaimer:

I realize that the Windows users may have ideas as to how the configuration I am asking about may work but I’m a longtime Windows user as well and am not looking for an unvalidated assumption that I can come to on my own… If you’re a Windows user, please no “I’m not sure” or “it should be drag and drop as in  windows” replies as it doesn’t address my question… I don’t mean to insult you but there’s  a major difference between a “maybe” answer from a Windows user and an answer, based on actual tried and true experience, from an Apple user.  I do not use an Apple and therefore am looking to the Apple users for their expertise.

As far as I know, iTunes only works with Apple-made devices, such as the iPod. You would probably need to do what you don’t want to do, and use drag’n’drop to copy the music over to the device as a storage device. But being that I don’t use Windoze or Macintosh, you’ll need to wait for someone else to confirm this for me.

if all your music is drm free then all you have to do is connect the fuze in defauls auto detect or MSC mode and the fuze will show up in finder. then drag and drop until your hearts content or the fuze is full.

and yes i am a mac user. 2 17in Macbook Pros and Macbook air

I’m not sure what you meant by “Finder”…  Being an iTunes user, I’ve never seen that reference made in regards to any function within iTunes… Or are you referring to a portion of the Mac OS outside of iTunes? 

Are you able to manage playlists?

I need to be very specific as this is a christmas present for a Mac User…  His kids use iTunes to manage iPods but for the price, the 8gb Sansa Fuze blows the all of the iPods out of the water,  $50 at Costco on a Black Friday special.  So the library that the kids load onto their iPods must be available to the Sansa via iTunes…  Forcing  him to use a file manager will confuse them…  

Thanks for the feedback but I’m getting mixed signals on the subject that iTunes is proprietary to iPods…  I’ve been told it can manage Zunes and Zens…  But I only use my 30gb iPod at home and my Sansa Fuze when on the road.  I started managing my Sansa using Windows Media Player as I already use it to manage my Windows-Mobile phone… 

So I do really need more substantial experience and evidence.  Sorry, I’m a psych major and I’ve developed a knack for looking at the emperical basis for any statement…  

the Fuze does not mount in itunes but it will mount in finder (finder is the equivalent of windows explorer). if all the music is DRM free you will be able to drag the files from itunes to the fuze with no issues.

To further satisfy as long as the music is not protected it will work.

I got an ibookg4 Im in school right now!:stuck_out_tongue: 

Read this link.  it will answer all of yoru questions:

Jack 

I am a windows user but before you write me off I use an Imac at school. I cannot with the version of itunes (not the newest but the version before) they have connect my fuze thru Itunes. I have to use finder to move music on that unit. That being said other programs are avalibe for mac users that work just as well

You’re right about wanting answers from someone with hands-on Mac experience and not guesses from Windows users about what should work.

Jack has already pointed you to my web page on using mp3 players with the Macintosh, which I know works with both Sansa m250 and Sansa Fuze and various MacBook and iMac models.  Thanks, Jack.  (See http://guyscharf.wordpress.com/mp3-on-macintosh/).

Bottom line is that there are two issues that need to be resolved to use a non-iPod mp3 player with the Mac.  1)  iTunes does not support non-Apple devices and 2) using the Finder to drag files to a player creates ._* files which can cause some players not to work as expected.

Another solution that I recently found on the web that may work is XNJB.   As I read the documentation, it appears this program might work with the Fuze if you have the proper versions of some libraries installed. I’m uncertain what difficulties that might entail, as I have not tried to do that myself.  When I next get access to a Mac, I’ll check this possibility out and update my web page if it seems like a good solution.

Guy

You can use the preference pane “Blue Harvest” that will stop the Mac from writing invisible files (._*) to non-mac volumes. It is shareware, but it’s cheap and you don’t have to muck around on the command line. I bought my kids Fuses for Christmas (rather they break a 50 dolar played than a 150 dollar iPod). From the mac the only option is drag and drop. They’re great except for one thing: Video encoding.

@guyscharf wrote:

You’re right about wanting answers from someone with hands-on Mac experience and not guesses from Windows users about what should work.

 

Jack has already pointed you to my web page on using mp3 players with the Macintosh, which I know works with both Sansa m250 and Sansa Fuze and various MacBook and iMac models.  Thanks, Jack.  (See http://guyscharf.wordpress.com/mp3-on-macintosh/).

 

Bottom line is that there are two issues that need to be resolved to use a non-iPod mp3 player with the Mac.  1)  iTunes does not support non-Apple devices and 2) using the Finder to drag files to a player creates ._* files which can cause some players not to work as expected.

 

Another solution that I recently found on the web that may work is XNJB.   As I read the documentation, it appears this program might work with the Fuze if you have the proper versions of some libraries installed. I’m uncertain what difficulties that might entail, as I have not tried to do that myself.  When I next get access to a Mac, I’ll check this possibility out and update my web page if it seems like a good solution.

 

Guy

Guy,

 

I am experiencing problems not being able to delete audiobooks on my Fuze.  I download them from the library (Overdrive) on a PC, then use a flash drive and transfer on my MAC, then I  drag and drop to the Fuze set to MSC.  I DO NOT see the .*_ extra files you mentioned here, so I am not sure this is my problem.  I delete the audiobook, it seems to work, but the book is still there.

 

Thanks.

Message Edited by leo3 on 01-27-2009 08:18 PM

@leo3 wrote:

I am experiencing problems not being able to delete audiobooks on my Fuze.  I download them from the library (Overdrive) on a PC, then use a flash drive and transfer on my MAC, then I  drag and drop to the Fuze set to MSC.  I DO NOT see the .*_ extra files you mentioned here, so I am not sure this is my problem.  I delete the audiobook, it seems to work, but the book is still there.

The .* extra files are visible only from the PC or from the Unix command line (where they are hidden, so you have to display hidden files).  They are not visible from the Finder.  They are also visible on some mp3 players menus.

By “the book is still there,” do you mean the space is still in use?  Did you empty the trash (which will empty the trash on all drives attached to your system, and the Fuze appears as a drive)?

@guyscharf wrote:


@leo3 wrote:

I am experiencing problems not being able to delete audiobooks on my Fuze.  I download them from the library (Overdrive) on a PC, then use a flash drive and transfer on my MAC, then I  drag and drop to the Fuze set to MSC.  I DO NOT see the .*_ extra files you mentioned here, so I am not sure this is my problem.  I delete the audiobook, it seems to work, but the book is still there.


The .* extra files are visible only from the PC or from the Unix command line (where they are hidden, so you have to display hidden files).  They are not visible from the Finder.  They are also visible on some mp3 players menus.

 

By “the book is still there,” do you mean the space is still in use?  Did you empty the trash (which will empty the trash on all drives attached to your system, and the Fuze appears as a drive)?

I am trying to delete on the player itself.  It acts like it is deleting, it goes to a different song, like it deleted the book.  But I go back to audiobooks and it is still there, and I can still play it!

 As for deleting on the computer, I drag the item to the trash can.  But I am trying to delete on my player as it is suppose to do :frowning:

 So I either have to stop using the Mac, install software, or take the Fuze back.  I don’t think they should say compatible with Mac, if it ain’t so!  I want to delete on the player.  Thanks for your help. 

 Does this mean I can’t format the micro SDHC card on the Mac also? 

Message Edited by leo3 on 01-28-2009 10:50 AM

leo3 wrote: 


I am trying to delete on the player itself.  It acts like it is deleting, it goes to a different song, like it deleted the book.  But I go back to audiobooks and it is still there, and I can still play it!

As for deleting on the computer, I drag the item to the trash can.  But I am trying to delete on my player as it is suppose to do :frowning:

So I either have to stop using the Mac, install software, or take the Fuze back.  I don’t think they should say compatible with Mac, if it ain’t so!  I want to delete on the player.  Thanks for your help. 

Does this mean I can’t format the micro SDHC card on the Mac also? 

If deleting an audiobook from the Fuze menu isn’t working, then that is a Fuze problem and has nothing to do with the Mac.  I’ve never tried to delete an audiobook from the player myself.

Also, with the latest firmware, deleting from the Fuze menus is not a good approach as deleting one file will result in a long delay while refreshing the database.  Hopefully, Sansa will improve that performance issue in a future release of the firmware.  Meanwhile, I delete files only from the computer.

With respect to microSDHC cards, they come preformatted so formating is not required.  I don’t have a Mac here and have not tested this and thus cannot check, but does the Mac offer you the option to format an attached device as a FAT32 device?  If so, you might be able to use the Mac to format the expansion card.

Guy

GuyScharf wrote: 

 

If deleting an audiobook from the Fuze menu isn’t working, then that is a Fuze problem and has nothing to do with the Mac.  I’ve never tried to delete an audiobook from the player myself.

 

Also, with the latest firmware, deleting from the Fuze menus is not a good approach as deleting one file will result in a long delay while refreshing the database.  Hopefully, Sansa will improve that performance issue in a future release of the firmware.  Meanwhile, I delete files only from the computer.

 

With respect to microSDHC cards, they come preformatted so formating is not required.  I don’t have a Mac here and have not tested this and thus cannot check, but does the Mac offer you the option to format an attached device as a FAT32 device?  If so, you might be able to use the Mac to format the expansion card.

 

Guy

__________________________________ 

Guy,

Thanks for your help.  I decided to try and use KopyMac, after formatting the micro SDHC card on the Mac, and the Fuze (on the Fuze).  So now I can delete audiobooks, BUT only one chapter at a time!  But that is better than before when I could delete nothing.  I am hoping to not hear strange noises and weird happenings now.

Thank you so much for your help and the others that gave me help (Niko-Sama thank you).  I am hopeful I can enjoy the Fuze now. :smileyvery-happy:

 I also hope Sansa will improve how you can delete and also improve working with a Mac.

 

Great info here. 

Message Edited by leo3 on 01-28-2009 06:25 PM

Message Edited by leo3 on 01-28-2009 06:25 PM