What is Podtext?
Podtext is a tool to transfer text-based notes into your iPod that can be read just like «Contacts» directly on the iPod's screen. There is a version that runs natively under Mac OS X (now also neatly under Mac OS X 10.3 Panther) and one that runs under Mac OS 8/9. Unlike other tools, Podtext is able to transfer the complete Macintosh charset including characters used in german, french, italian or other foreign languages. While other apps max out at 1000 characters per note; Podtext can extend that limit to 2000 characters. The new version 2.x release can also split long texts into several files for your iPod and can stich them together again for editing. Besides, Podtext 2.x offers a new powerful "FileFinder" window that displays all the text files on your iPod, sports a remarkable search engine for your files and does now also save your preferences. Also, the best fact of all is still there: While others will cost you an arm and a leg, Podtext is completely free!

How does it work?
Podtext gives you an easy interface to enter your texts. All parts of the interface show a help text, if you stay with your cursor on them for some time.
In order to transmit a text, just follow a few easy steps:

1. Choose iPod
Click this button and choose the disk icon of your iPod (as you would do with a normal hard drive). Podtext will automatically add «Contact» folder information to the path and save your settings in a preferences file.

2. Enter a Title
Name your work -- give it a title! You may use all characters on your Macintosh keyboard! Podtext 2.0 can now even handle much longer titles than it did before and the filename does not have to be the same as the title anymore -- just try it out!

3. Enter a Text
Enter your text or copy and paste it from a wordprocessor, email or webbrowser software. Better than others: You can use all characters available on a Mac (very important if you intend to write your texts in a non-english language such as german, french, italian and others) and up to 2000 characters per message. Podtext can now also handle «returns» in a text and thransfer them onto the iPod. If you choose the «SPLIT» mode (see below), you have virtually no character limit, because Podtext will split your text neatly into several messages of 1000 (short) or 2000 (long) characters. Also, Podtext will respect the power of a word -- and will never tear words apart; so if a message has to be splitted, Podtext will start the second splitted subfile with a whole word -- instead of just cutting them off.
While you are typing, Podtext will constantly display the number of characters used in your text and the number of characters left until the 2000-character limit has been reached. If you are in «Split» mode, the remaining character display will read «SPLIT» as soon as the text has to be splitted. If your text is shorter than that, Podtext will of course automatically generate a normal, non-splitted file; so you might want to leave the «Split» mode on all the time.

4. Beam me up, Scotty!
Click «Send to iPod» in order to send your text to your iPod. And there you go! If you would like to write more messages, click «New Text» and start typing a new text message (step 2).
Please note that Podtext recognizes automatically, whether a file was generated by Podtext 2.x or another application -- including Podtext 1.0. If you edit such a file (read how to edit below!) and want to send it back to your iPod, Podtext informs you, that this file has other origins than Podtext 2.x and will offer you not to save it because data of the original file might get lost.

5. Letter to the Editor
Podtext 2.x has powerful new features to help you keeping track of the files on your iPod. Click the «Show Files» button (or into the iPod's display on the picture) to display the so-called «FileFinder» (now isn't that a creative name?) window on your screen. It displays all the files in the «Contacts» folder on your iPod and allows you to work with them as follows:

a) Edit them
Open a file back in Podtext just by double-clicking it's name in the «File Finder» listing. It's as easy as that! Alternatively, you can also click a file once to mark it grey and the click the «Open...» button.
You can edit the text in the main window of Podtext and click  the «Send to iPod» button once more in order to save it back to  your iPod! When you open a file for editing, Podtext will automatically remove it's footer and add an updated one when you save the file again -- this makes editing files really convenient. If you want to edit a splitted message, you can click on any of the splitted files in order to open the re-stiched, complete text in Podtext again -- it's really hard to make it any easier! This re-stiched message can be edited just as any other message and can of course also be re-saved onto your Pod!

b) Search them
Click into the «QuickSearch» field and enter some characters of the file title you are looking for. Podtext will constatly (after each character you type) update the file list and will only show the files that match  your entered search term. Again, it's really hard to make it any easier! Just double-click onto a file in such a search list and you are up and editing in no time! (Tip: enter «01» as search term in order to find all splitted files on your iPod!) Simply click into the «QuickSearch» tag above the field in order to clear your search terms and to display all the files on your iPod!

c) Delete them
It's just as easy to delete files: Click onto the file you want to delete in order to mark it grey. Then click the «Delete...» button, answer the security requester («Do you really want to...») with «Yes» and it's gone.

d) Delete all found files
You can also delete all the files that have been found using the «QuickSearch» function: Keep the shift key pressed and click onto the «Delete...» button. Two security requesters will alert you about what you are planning to do -- and then your selection of your files will go straight down the drain!

e) Delete all files on your iPod
Podtext even allows you to delete all the message files in the «Contacts» folder on your iPod. Just keep the alt key pressed and click onto the «Delete...» button. Two security requesters will alert you about the troubles you might get into when you accidentally delete your girlfriend's phone number -- and then you will find a completely clean «Contacts» folder!

6. More under the hood
You can change some settings using the preferences (choose «Preferences» from the menu):

a) Length of your textfiles («VCF type»)
Can be short (max. 1000 characters per text) or long  (max. 2000 characters per text) and is also used when  messages are splitted (you can have 1000 or 2000 character subfiles).
b) Splitting-Mode («Splitting long text»)
Use «never» to turn splitting always off (longer files will be cutted off). Use «split» to make use of the great splitting functions of Podtext 2.0. If a message contains less than 1000 (or 2000 respectively) characters, it will never be splitted anyway -- Podtext does it all for you!

c) Overwrite behavior
«ask» asks you when a file already exists. «always» always  overwrites files that already exist.

d) Footer
Podtext has an option to add a footer to all your notes.  You can enter any text in this field, add the date and/or the time and/or your name. Remember: If you have a footer in your file, Podtext will remove it before it loads a message for editing (so that the footer doesn't get into your way! Please click onto the «Save Settings...» button to save your preferences. If you close the preferences window using its close field, your settings will only be available until you quit Podtext.

How much does it cost?
You ain't gonna believe it -- but this pretty babe is still completely free! Have fun!