ephPod

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ephPod (pronounced eef-Pod) is a freeware program for Microsoft Windows and Linux that enhances the interacton between Apple Computer's iPod digital audio player and the computer. It has become one of the popular alternatives to the official software for the purpose, Apple's iTunes.

ephPod was initially developed by Joe Masters, then a student at Williams College, in January 2002, in an effort to get the Macintosh-only iPod working with Windows. The original version of ephPod copied files and edited the iTunesDB file on the iPod, and did not have an HFS+ file system driver included. This meant that EphPod needed to be used in conjunction with an HFS+ file system driver for Windows, either MacOpener or MacDrive. Masters partnered with DataViz to give ephPod users a discount on MacOpener.

ephPod continued to be developed, with bi-weekly or monthly updates, through mid-2003. At that point, Masters was out of college and had less time to devote to the development.

Currently, ephPod still serves the needs of many users, but is getting a bit dated, without support for the newer features of iPods, including podcasts and videos.

The name of ephPod is taken from the Ephs, the Williams College team name. The Ephs are named after Ephraim Williams, the school's founder.