Help please!-new ipod

Question

Hello all, this is my first post.Can someone please advise me on a couple of simple points/scenarios.I have read the recent manuals, but can't seem to find anything specific to these questions.itunes is completely new to me :
I have just bought a new 30gb video for me, and a ipod nano for my daughter.I have just put 200 albums into the itunes library. Before I add them to my 30gb ipod, I want to make sure I don't mess up right at the start.
Question 1. If I just connect my ipod to itunes and let it sync automatically, can I change this to manual at a later date, and then add manually if I wish, or if I let it sync automatically from the start, is that it for all future connections to itunes (is there no going back)?
Question 2. How does this affect me connecting and syncing my daughters ipod nano to itunes if I have synced my ipod to itunes prior to this?
Question 3. Obviously I don't want my 10 year old daughter to have all of what I have saved in the itunes library.Therefore I'd like to create a seperate bit to add her cd's to the library and add manually to her ipod.What would anyone advise is the best way to do this. Otherwise, If I don't create a seperate folder, then surely when I add /import one of her cd's onto the computer, it's just going to go into the main library which I don't want.What I'm saying is that I'd like to gave the main library for my stuff, and a seperate folder for her stuff without it being in the main library - because then surely if her stuff is in the main library, then when I go to sync my ipod again at a later date, it's going to dump her stuff on my ipod also? Yes?
Question 4. I have also just bought a new laptop and have donwloaded the latest version of itunes onto it.I haven't done anything else with it.What would be the best way to copy the library from my main computer to the laptop - would you advise external hard drive, or using the ipod? Also, on the laptop, if I was just to connect my ipod to this, would it automatically take the music from the ipod and dump into the new itunes on the laptop.
I work away from home alot, and basically want a duplicate library on both machines.Any advice??
I have windows XP on the main home computer and the new laptop has vista on it.Would this affect anything?
Any help on these matters is greatly appreciated.Thanks to you all.

Answer 1

"I have just bought a new 30gb video for me, and a ipod nano for my daughter.I have just put 200 albums into the itunes library. Before I add them to my 30gb ipod, I want to make sure I don't mess up right at the start"
When the iPods belong to different people, there are basically two ways of using multiple iPods on a computer and these involve:
a) Sharing a single iTunes library and or user account or
b) Creating multiple user accounts.
Note: When you are sharing an iTunes library, you don't have to set each iPod to update in the same manner, you can mix and match from the options below as each iPod has it's own update settings
Sharing a Library and/or User Account
If you want to share the one library, you can set either or all of the iPods so that they only get updated with only certain playlists (you can update from more than one if you wish):
Loading songs onto iPod automatically - Windows
Choosing the update option "Sync Music - Selected playlists" allows you to create a playlist specifically for the iPod and drag the tracks you want into it. If you tire of the list and want to change it, you just add or remove the songs you don't want. The ones you take out out remain in the library to be used some other time if you choose. You can read more about playlists at these links:
iTunes: Creating playlists of your favorite songs
How to create a Smart Playlist with iTunes
Or you can choose to update any or all of the iPods manually and just drag whatever content you want to them: Managing content manually on iPod
It's also possible to have multiple libraries in a single account. To create or access a second (or more) library, hold down the Option key (or Shift key in Windows) when launching iTunes 7. In the resulting dialogue you will get the option to create a new library or navigate to the other Library.
Note: You can only have one Library open at a time and iTunes will default to the last library opened if you don't use the keyboard command to choose one. This can prove tricky when using multiple iPods, if you don't use the keyboard command you can risk syncing to the wrong library:
Using multiple iTunes libraries -Windows
Separate User Accounts
Another option is to create a separate User account for each person on your PC or Mac. Different accounts by definition would give you completely separate libraries. Each account has it's own iTunes folder, Library and iTunes Music folder and you load it with CDs etc just as you did with your original one. The iPod can be set to update however the owner chooses, sync all, manual or sync specific playlists
I don't use Windows so I can't give you a step by step on that one, however I can point you to another web page which should help you out. You can read about Windows user accounts here:
Using Windows XP User Accounts