The iTunes Audiobook Problems

Sometime last week Apple announced that a number of Audiobooks purchased through the iTunes store wouldn’t play on iPods - something I’m sure anyone that’s brought one would be all to well aware - like me.

I purchased a couple of Audiobooks that would happily play in iTunes on any of the computers I’ve authorised but wouldn’t play on my iPod - no matter how many times I deleted it.

Apple’s solution to this problem was to basically tell people not to buy Audiobooks from iTunes until they get it sorted - well now it’s sorted so you can start buying again.

I got an e-mail this morning explaining how to sort the problem out but it’s shockingly complicated - well it’s not complicated as such but it’s more complicated than it needs to be.

In an effort to make it as straight forward as possible for the idiot user they’ve ended up adding steps that aren’t needed.

This is what they say:

To correct this problem, please do the following:

1. Download and install iTunes 7.2, the latest version of the application, that includes a fix for this problem. You can download it free from our website.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

2. Delete the affected audiobook from your iTunes Library.

3. Connect your iPod to your computer and sync. Some important notes on this step:
If prompted, click Don’t Transfer purchases from iPod to iTunes.
If you manually manage music on your iPod, delete the affected audiobook from your iPod before syncing.
Allow the sync to complete before continuing to the next step.

4. Select Check for Purchases from the Store menu of iTunes to download the corrected version of the audiobook. We have added this to your download queue at no charge. You can also click this link to start your download.

5. After the files have downloaded, sync your iPod once more. You can do this by selecting Sync iPod from the File menu in iTunes. If you manually manage the music on your iPod, you will need to add the audiobook to it again.

Well, assuming you accept the updates Apple throws at you - and the idiot users ALWAYS accept updates - it’s why their computers never work and I get asked to fix them - then you’ll already have iTunes 7.2.

If you’ve got iTunes 7.2 then all you need to do is:

1. Delete the Audiobook from the Audiobooks section in iTunes.
2. Go to Store > Check for Purchases
3. Sit back and wait for it to download
4. When downloaded drag it from Audiobooks to your iPod

Then you can just transfer it to you iPod later if you need to - I know there aren’t that many steps fewer than the Apple steps but do they really need that many words to say - delete > check > sync?

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