iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

Calendar Formats for the iPod

The iPod’s calendar system couldn’t be more basic: its software displays the contents of any iCalendar or vCalendar files it finds in the Calendar folder on its hard drive. All you have to do is put them there.

To do that, you’ll probably want to export your existing schedule from a Mac or Windows calendar program. Fortunately, most programs can export your appointments in either the iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar (.vcs) format.

These files are something like the vCards described on Section B.2: You can make ‘em, trade ‘em, and swap ‘em with your friends—even if you use a Mac and they use PCs.

There are some differences between the iCalendar and vCalendar formats, however:

• The iCalendar format is designed for uploading and using calendars on the Internet; the vCalendar format is popular for handheld computers and hardcore scheduling programs.

• Your alarms and reminders (Section B.10) survive the journey to your iPod if they’re in the iCalendar format—but not if they’re in the vCalendar format.

Getting your calendar on the iPod is the hard part. If you want to see a sample of what calendars look like on the iPod, jump ahead to Section B.10.1.

Importing Calendars with iTunes

Just as iTunes can now pluck contacts off your computer, it can also snag and display a copy of your daily, weekly, or monthly schedule on your iPod—if you happen to use Outlook on your PC or iCal on your Mac. If you do, this next section tells you where to go in iTunes to make it happen. If ...