Dec 18 2005
TuneTech for iPod
TuneTech is essentially an iPod-specific version of Drive Genius. Prosoft Engineering claims that TuneTech is “the only comprehensive software utility geared specifically toward iPod users,” but is it really necessary?
TuneTech comes packed with everything you need to diagnose and repair any hard drive problems that your iPod may experience in a normal working environment. And, it presents these tools in a cute iPod-like interface.
Repair: The first tool with which TuneTech greats you is entitled, “Repair”. Repair is essentially an exact mirror of Apple’s Disk Utility. You can use this tool to verify and repair the volume structure and permissions of your iPod. This tool offers nothing more than Apple’s Disk Utility.
Optimize: This is the first of the few tools that cannot be replaced by any of Apple’s applications, though a suitable replacement can be found in most third-party disk utilities. The Optimize tool decreases the amount of free space between the media files on your iPod to minimize hard drive access and lower the amount of “wear-and-tear” that your iPod experiences on a daily basis. After running the Optimize tool on my third-generation iPod, I did notice a slight improvement in the amount of time that it took my iPod to load and scan through various song files.
Shred: If you plan on selling your iPod, but don’t want to consider the likelihood of someone listening to your music and viewing your photos, use the Shred tool to permanently delete your iPod’s media files and libraries. This function can be easily replicated by using Apple’s Disk Utility to re-format your iPod’s hard drive with one of the the “Secure Erase” options and the latest iPod Software Updater to restore your iPod’s software.
Backup: This tool allows you to easily create and archive an exact clone of your iPod for those “just in case” moments when you find that your iPod has been accidentally wiped clean. This tool is practically unnecessary. Your iPod is an exact clone of your iTunes and iPhoto libraries. If I were to suddenly find that my iPod had been wiped clean, I would simply restore my iPod’s software from the latest iPod Software Updater, and synchronize my iPod with my iTunes and iPhoto libraries.
Undelete: The Undelete tool searches your iPod for salvageable files which may have been accidentally deleted. This is yet another unnecessary tool. Generally, individual files don’t mysteriously disappear from iPods, but if you find that one has done so, simply synchronize your iPod. If a file is missing from your iPod, it usually means that you have also deleted it from your iTunes or iPhoto library and that it was predictably removed from your iPod during your last synchronization. If you did not intend to remove the fore-mentioned file from your libraries, and if you have been using a good tool or routine to keep backup copies of your iTunes and iPhoto libraries, simply restore them from the most recent backup copy and synchronize your iPod.
Duplicate: The Duplicate tool allows you to easily transfer an exact copy of one iPod to another. As far as I am concerned, this is the most useless tool that TuneTech has to offer. If you need one iPod to have the same media files as another, just synchronize both to the same iTunes and iPhoto libraries. Not to mention that the Duplicate tool could cause more problems than it’s worth. Just imagine what would happen if you transfered an exact copy of an iPod video to an iPod mini.
Scan: This is another one of the few tools that cannot be replaced by any of Apple’s applications, though a suitable replacement can be found in most third-party disk utilities. The scan tool scans every block of your iPod’s hard drive for damaged blocks, which could affect your iPod’s stability and overall performance. And, what do you do when the scan tool finds a damaged block? You re-format your iPod’s hard drive with Disk Utility, use the latest iPod Software Updater to restore your iPod’s software, and synchronize your iPod.
Info: This is the last of the few tools that cannot be replaced by any of Apple’s applications, though a suitable replacement can be found in Drive Genius. The Info tool displays your iPod’s official model name, serial number, and tons of specific details which could be considered as “useless” to the average user.
In summary, TuneTech is “the only comprehensive software utility geared specifically toward iPod users,” but that is probably because its functions can easily be found in Apple’s Disk Utility and the iPod synchronization capabilities of iTunes and iPhoto. Your iTunes and iPhoto libraries represent the heart of your iPod. If you use a good disk utility, such as TechTool Pro or Drive Genius, or a good regular maintenance routine, your iTunes and iPhoto libraries will be just fine. If anything were to happen to the libraries on your iPod, all that you would have to do is verify/repair your iPod’s disk with Apple’s Disk Utility, restore your iPod’s software from the latest iPod Software Updater, and synchronize your iPod with your iTunes and iPhoto libraries.
Pros: TuneTech provides a comprehensive collection of everything that you would ever need to diagnose and repair any hard drive problems that your iPod may experience in a normal working environment.
Cons: Most of TuneTech’s tools can easily be found in Apple’s Disk Utility and the iPod synchronization capabilities of iTunes and iPhoto.