Re-Install?

[benga]

Re-Install?

[benga]

I'm a barrage of questions today!  It's non work related this time.

I've finally got round to picking up OS X.3 for my girlfriends iBook.  Is it worth formatting the HD and doing a fresh install or can I just upgrade the current OS with out worrying about what it'll do to the system.  I've always gone for a clean install on my Windows boxes - should I do the same with the Mac?

If so how do I go about it?!  What’s the best way to back up everything?  Think there is space left on her iPod to transfer stuff to - however I've no idea how you do that.  Really don't want to back up all the MP3's - If I sync the iPod to a clean install will it transfer all the songs back in to iTunes?

The iBooks currently running OS X.2 which was installed over OS X.1.

Any help appreciated

Cheers.

[JhuFrank]

CCC to back up her mp3's, or just drag and drop them over to a USB or FW external HD. Backup all documents and data. I dont know if Ipod will do a reverse sync.  Then do a clean install.  

[dkotenoglou]

You could do a "reverse sync" sorta of the ipod with a program called ipodutil.
This will let you pull the MP3s out of an ipod and drop them on somewhere on cpu.
I do agree that it would be a good idea to wipe drive and start clean.
Maybe burn some cds of data you may not need.

[MTP]

you can not pull the songs back off the ipod unless you download some third party software to allow you to see the hidden fiels on the ipod.  I tried it and it work but not that great.
I would recommed getting some sort of firewire hdd and back everything up first.
Do a clean install of X without classic unless you think you need it.
According to most using X without classic shows a great improvement.

I only have X on my clamshell, but it is my first apple so I do not have allot of experience to base this off.

[JhuFrank]

I agree with DK and MTP. The firewire and USB2.0 support in OSX makes this really easy. I have 2 usb 2.0 external drives, one laptop size, the other full size, and it is really simple just to plug in and copy stuff around. With FW and USB 2.0 there is no excuse saying that this project is too much trouble or will slow you down, its just as fast as copying stuff off of an ipod, because that is all an ipod is, a FW external drive.
Again, always, if you can, clean install.  

[Quamen]

why do you need an external drive? Can't you just put the mp3's on the iPod when it's in hard drive mode. So not using iTunes, but just put them on there in a folder, the kind that you can't use to play the songs on the iPod. That would work too wouldn't it?