Formating for Mac and Windows

I've been looking around on iPod Lounge and the such trying to figure this out, and i can't seem to get it. i could be overlooking it however.

I keep all my music on my Mac, but i would like to keep random files on my ipod from my PC (pictures, documents, etc) i plug my mac formatted ipod into the pc and it recognizes it all and says it's an ipod and everything. when i try to open it, it says it isn't formated.

I've heard that mac formated ipods don't work on windows, but windows formated ipods do work on macs (which kind of makes sense since i can take my jump drive back and forth in between the 2)

So how should i go about reformatting my ipod so that both systems can recognize it. I didn't really know what file format to use etc.

Thanks to whoever can help

I think what you should do is use the ipodupdater software on your PC (this should be on your iPod CD or you can download the latest version from Apple website). Don't use the update option, use the restore one. It will reformat your iPod using the FAT32 standard.

That will work if your mac can access FAT32 formatted drives, and I don't know anything about that (since I don't know anything about macs).

yes, macs by default can touch FAT32s....windows on the other hand, you have to get some software so that it can read the mac format drives (HFS+) = $$

thanks for the info. I found the article on ipod lounge i thought i had read it in the first time. Now i just have to be not lazy and reformat it on my PC then transfer everything back on to it, maybe after my 2.5 hour drive today in case something goes wrong...

Now off to get 2 cavities filled ?