First Utility Launched To Help Access iPod's Hidden Music Folder

by , 8:00 AM EST, November 12th, 2001

When we first reported that it was possible to bypass Apple's copy limitations in the new iPod, we said that we thought that 3rd party developers would quickly release utilities to make doing so easy. The first such utility has been released in beta form in a product named iPod Free File Access (iPFFA). The iPod does not allow one to copy one's MP3 files from the iPod to a Mac. In other words, file synchronization is one-way only, from your Mac to the iPod. iPFFA makes it easy to access the hidden music directory on the iPod from your desktop, making iPod to Mac file transfers easier. Christian Vick is the developer:

What?
With iPod Free File Access (iPFFA, that sounds good ;) you can easily access the music folder on the iPod disk created by iTunes 2.

How?
Just drag the iPod disk onto iPFFA, the music folder will be visible and opens automatically for quick & easy access. After dragging the iPod disk onto iPFFA it knows the disk name and from now you can make the folder visible just by launching iPFFA (handy in the Apple menu).

Requirements
Mac OS 9.x

Costs
Good-guy-ware. Do a good thing to the person which is next to you right now. :-)

Disclaimer
This software is distributed 'as is': no warranties are made, either expressed or implied. Use this application entirely at your own risk!

You can find download links for the utility at Christian Vick's Web site. Please note that it is not available for Mac OS X. If you want more information on how and why the iPod does not allow file transfers from the iPod to a Mac, check out our feature story on that topic.

The Mac Observer Spin:

It will be interesting to see if Apple has any sort of public reaction about these types of utilities. It would be even more interesting to see if the RIAA makes any public comment. The RIAA is on a massive campaign to control all forms of electronic files of your music, whether legal or not, and the organization could well try and force Apple to go to more extreme methods to prohibit file transfers with the iPod. We hope that Apple is covered from any sort of legal pressure from the Luddites at the RIAA, but only time will tell. In the meanwhile, we offer a Mac Observer Salute to Christian Vick for giving us a tool with which to exercise our Fair Use rights more easily with the iPod.

Christian Vick