A week ago I wrote about why I think that the iPod mini is probably one of the best travel companions anyone could find. However, I learned many things since then, I found software to exploit it at his full potential and I fully integrated it in my laptop.

How I use my iPod?

Basically, the iPod is a simple MP3 player. However, the fact that he has a big screen and text display capacity, make him more like a lite version PDA than a MP3 player.

When I bought it, I never know that I was able to synchronize my Outlooks calendar, tasks, notes, contacts and mails. That I was able to sync some of my favorite web feeds or that I was able to upload the latest weather forecast. I didn’t have in mind to sync backup folders and use it as a storage support.

However, time as changed and now, in a single click, I sync all these information in my iPod mini. I found two really cool synchronization software that do it. The first one is the iPodAgent. This is reliable software that that will get all your Outlook information files, converts them into text files, and syncs them to your iPod. The other one is the iPodSync. He has almost all the same features as the iPodAgent, except for some advanced features like having the possibility to sync your PodCast files. However, I tested and used both; they are all reliable and I never had problems with any of them.

Now when I wakeup the morning, I sync all my files with my iPod. Even if I’m going out of the house without my laptop, I only have to bring my little iPod and I’ll can read my web feeds, my emails and my tasks while listening at my favorite music and this, for 18 hours in a row. Is that not beautiful? Yeah it is for 249$ bunks.

I was a big fan of having my task and appointments shown on the desktop of my laptop. I was using ADC to do the task. However, with my new system, I needed to use all the features of Outlook and didn’t want to fill my tasks and appointments in both ADC and Outlook. So I searched for a program that will put my Outlook stuff on my desktop. I found DeskLook also developed by XemiComputers. Everything was so perfect, the loop was closed and working like a charm. My iPod mini was fully integrated with my laptop computer.

Other tips and tricks for the iPod

Altitude warning. It seems that the iPod will not be your best friend over 10000 feet. So, if you are going into the Himalaya, do not open it, otherwise the hard drive of your iPod would broke and make it a shiny peace of junk.

Use Winamp to sync your music with your iPod. Personally I don’t like iTunes. It’s huge and unstable. So, I found the perfect tool to resolve my problem: ml_iPod. It’s a Winamp plug-in that seems to work like a charm for most users. Personally I had some bugs with my laptop setup. However, the project seems really promising and as soon as they will arrange the bugs I’ll use instead iTunes.

50 fun things to do with your iPod. So, you don’t have enough? You need more examples of what you can do with your iPod? Take a look at this list of 44 fun things to do with your iPod compiled by Kootke.

If you have tips or tricks that you would like to see in this list, leave a comment, I’ll add it immediately.

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