You can use any iPod, including an iPod shuffle, as an external hard drive (or in the case of an iPod shuffle, a flash memory drive). And like any hard drive, you can transfer files and applications from your computer to your iPod and take them with you wherever you go. The iPod is smart enough to keep your files separate from your music collection so that you don't accidentally erase them when you update your music. And because your iPod is with you, it's as safe as you are.
The iPod, as shipped, is formatted as a Macintosh hard drive and can be connected to any Mac. When you connect it to Windows, the iPod is reformatted as a Windows hard drive. You can then connect it to any Windows PC or any Mac. (Macs can use hard drives formatted for Windows PCs, but can't start the system from them.)
To use your iPod as an external hard drive on a Mac, follow these steps:
1. Connect your iPod to your Mac.
2. Select the iPod name in the iTunes Source pane.
3. Click the iPod Options button on the bottom-right side of the iTunes window, or click the iPod button in the iTunes Preferences dialog.
The iPod Options button appears only when an iPod is connected and selected in the Source pane. You can also choose iTunes --> Preferences and click the iPod button - whether or not the iPod is selected in the Source pane (although it has to be connected). The iPod preferences dialog appears.
4. Click the Music button in the iPod preferences dialog if it's not already selected.
When you first open iPod preferences, the Music button is already selected and displays the iPod music updating preferences, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Enable the iPod as a Mac hard drive.
5. Select the "Enable disk use" option and click OK.
The "Enable disk use" option is available if your iPod is set to automatically update. If you already set your iPod to manual updating, this option is grayed out because it isn't needed - setting the iPod to update manually automatically enables you to use it as a hard drive.
6. Open the iPod icon in the Finder to see its contents.
The iPod hard drive opens up to show at least three folders - Calendars, Contacts, and Notes. You may also have other folders depending on the iPod model. You can add new folders, rename your new folders, and generally use the iPod as a hard drive, but don't rename the folders already provided on the iPod. They link directly to functions on the iPod - for example, the Calendars folder links directly to the Calendar menu on the iPod.
7. Optional: Drag files or folders to the iPod window.
To keep data organized, create new folders on the iPod, and then drag files and folders that you want to copy to the newly created folders.
8. Before disconnecting the iPod, eject the iPod from the system.
Click the Eject button next to the iPod name in the Finder, or drag the iPod icon to the Trash icon, which turns into an Eject button as you drag the iPod icon into it.
After ejecting the iPod, its display shows the OK to disconnect message on older models, or the main menu on newer models. You can then disconnect the iPod from its dock or disconnect the dock from the computer. Don't ever disconnect an iPod before ejecting it. You might have to reset your iPod.
To delete files and folders from the iPod, drag them to the Trash just like an external hard drive.
Don't use a hard drive utility program, such as Disk Utility or Drive Setup, to erase or format the iPod's hard drive. If you erase your iPod's hard drive in this way, it might be unable to play music.
To see how much free space is left on the iPod, you can use the Finder. Select the iPod icon on the desktop, and then choose File --> Show Info. You can also choose Settings --> About from the iPod's main menu.
