So far, the best application I’ve found for accessing music and videos from your iPod Touch or iPhone, without using iTunes, is iPod Access by Findley Designs. It includes support for both Intel and PowerPC Macs.

From iPod Access website:

“Pod Access is the leading iPod/iPhone music and video transfer application for the Mac. With iPod Access you have instant access to all the songs on your iPod and iPhone. Your songs can be be displayed and sorted in almost any fashion so you can find the songs you need right when you need them. With the new instant search feature in v4 you can find songs just as quickly as you would in iTunes. And once you have found the songs, movies and playlists that you want, iPod Access will copy them right back into iTunes or to an external drive for backup. If you need music from your iPod or iPhone back on your computer then you need iPod Access.”

I had it running and figured out in just a few minutes. Just select the songs you want to copy & press the copy button in the top of the window. You’re presented with a save window, select where you want the songs to be saved, and bam, they’re there. Screenshot below.

I’m very impressed with this little app, and for $19.99, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Requirements: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher, iPod software v1.2 or higher . There is also a Win XP/Vista version of iPod Access.

Thirty-Two years ago, on April 1, 1976, Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The first endeavor of their new company was to market and sell the Apple I PC. The Apple I computers were built by Steve Wozniak at the home of Steve Jobs’ parents. Its public debut was at the Homebrew Computer Club. A total of 200 Apple I’s were built over the course of time. It went on sale in July of 1976 at a market-price of $666.66.

The Apple I at The Smithsonian (Source: RebelPilot)

Apple Computer’s Very First Logo - Pre-1976

Apple Computer’s First Public Logo (The one most people will recognize) - Late-1976

There is a nasty rumor circulating that suggests Apple may be leaning toward a one-time fee for unlimited access to its iTunes library. I have heard that this fee may be built into the price of the iPods/iPhones - But I’ve also heard speculation of a flat rate, that you could pay directly through iTunes. I’m not sure what I think about this yet. Right now, this seems too good to be true. I’m waiting to hear an announcement from Apple, where they’ll outline their file restrictions and regulations for use; which will then make this much less exciting.