When the iMac Intel came out, I was actually very surpised, as it seemed a silly place to switch. They took a machine with a totally decent DESKTOP chip, the single-core G5, and replaced it with a brand new, top-of-the-line LAPTOP chip. The fact that there's any improvement at all actually surprises me, and shows that they probably had to make some pretty big architectural sacrifices to make the G5 consume little enough power to work in the iMac in the first place.

Where the Intel switch will make the most drastic improvement is in the laptops - the MacBook should, theoretically, operate at exactly the same speed as the new iMacs, which really is something like a 100% speed improvement over the G4s - and in the quad and maybe even octal-core PowerMacs that will come out later in the year or early 2007.

how many playlists do you have on your ipod (and/or itunes)

63 78, of which 40 42 are smart. (eta I forgot to count the playlists that I've put into folders.)

Some of those smart lists exist solely to narrow down my collection to fit on the Nano or the 40 Gig ipod. I think I'm gonna buy a 60 Gig iPod just so I can have my entire library on one iPod again.

Also, why is 'solely' spelled that way?

how many playlists do you have on your ipod (and/or itunes)

I have lost upward of about 50 or so in work-computer-and-no-iPod-having computer switches. Now -

6 smart, 29 regular on my iPod (which I've had since 03/05).

I don't have any on my main computer's iTunes because I make all of them on my iPod now.

Holee CRAP, people. I have like, two. One for songs I am not sick of and one for working out. Also the preinstalled ones like recently added/purchased. I have one for podcasts too, but that's the fault of iTunes for not making it easier to play podcasts sequentially.

Seriously? I can't imagine making mine work for me without them

21 smart . 83 total. I could probably get rid of a few, but there are some that I'll be making once I finish my re-genre-ing (the genres, as they were, were utterly unhelpful). It's possible that I have some sort of sickness

I have a few, one of which is workout music. Mostly I just listen to stuff on random, and hit "next" if I'm not int he mood.

I make a playlist for each disc I import so I have quite a few. I managed to resurrect my collection (with the help of a co-worker). I counted 70 before I got tired of counting and that only took me up to the "B"s. I haven't made any smart playlists yet because I only learned of that feature a little while ago. I haven't made the time to sit and read some books on iTunes and iPods.

Has anyone here ever, for want of a better word "piggybacked" a wireless router? I'm curious if I can use one in reverse. Have the router downstairs, and another one upstairs to hook via ethernet to a computer that does not have a wireless card.

I have no money to buy a wireless card, but I have a spare wireless Linksys given to me by a friend.

I'm going to experiment tomorrow, but I thought I would ask. Google gives no love, because I apparently have not the nomenclature needed to properly query.

It would also eliminate the cat-5 wire I currently have going across the dining room, around the staircase and up into that room for an internet connection.

I'm thinking if I just set the linksys to get a dhcp address from the first wireless , then have a seperate IP span for it's DHCP...maybe.

Any thoughts?

Why do you do playlists for albums instead of just browsing to the album, Spidra?

I have smart playlists that give me my new podcasts, that give me everything 3+, 4+ or 5 stars, that give me any Prince that's 3 or more stars, any Bob Marley that's 3 or more stars, anything from the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s that's 3 or more stars, then there's a Krav playlist of my music, a master krav playlist that includes music donated to me, covers, dance music, downbeat, upbeat, songs of conscience (Biko, Peace Train, assorted Marley), ring tones (I've only played this once, it's very funny), longing, lust, love and loss, new songs I've never listened to...you get the picture. I have an organisational bug.

I think I just found it easier to look it up that way. Of course, the list isn't anywhere near as long as it would be yet. I've only ripped about 1/3 of the CDs I own. I may decide to do it your way soon.

The custom playlists I have are for mixes I've made, mixes other folks have made (very like the Buffistarawk collaborative mixes), and repertoire that I'm working on for whatever gig is coming up next.

I have to figure out whether to toss doubles. I mean doubles that aren't precise doubles. You can have the same recording session of a song on more than one album but the mastering could conceivably be different...