Need help syncing multiple iDevices on same laptop (PC)

[Carioca_FL]

I have three different iOS devices under the same iTunes account and I'd like to be able to sync them and avoid messing things up.

My concern comes from my earlier experience in syncing my wife's iPhone and my daughter's iPod Touch. Although they both use the same iTunes account, I wanted to be able to choose which apps go to which device. Instead, both devices got all apps synced and now they both had to (well, I did, actually. Yeay for in-home tech support ) delete each other's apps from their devices.

Now we have a third device, an iPad 2. First off, let me say that I should have gotten the 32GB model and the $100 savings was not at all worth it. I've got tons of apps (and few pics, videos and songs) and need to constantly delete apps.
With that out of the way (sorry about that!), I have never synced the iPad, fearing that all my (mostly) iPad apps would not only be synced to the other devices but, worse, those other devices' apps would sync INTO my iPad -which would probably not happen, as all I have is about 200MB free.

So, onto my questions:

- how can I avoid having those other apps synced to my iPad? I've got the iPad hooked up now and although iTunes shows (as far as I can tell) only the iPad's app, I'm a bit hesitant in syncing it and having those other apps synced in.

- speaking of iTunes, why is that, under the "Apps" tab, none of my app folders (created on the iPad) are shown on iTunes. Thanks to folders, all I have are 4 pages of apps, whereas iTunes shows 11. Yet, on iTunes, I can drag two apps together and create a folder -what gives?

- what's the best way to manage syncing? I currently have it set to NOT sync automatically when connected and to only sync checked items (songs/videos, etc).


Any help/tips are appreciated!

//edit:

The fsck? Without syncing (or changing anything), iTunes' capacity meter, at the bottom of the screen, just changed from showing 200MB free to 1GB OVER capacity.

 

[richsadams]

So, onto my questions:

- how can I avoid having those other apps synced to my iPad? I've got the iPad hooked up now and although iTunes shows (as far as I can tell) only the iPad's app, I'm a bit hesitant in syncing it and having those other apps synced in.

- speaking of iTunes, why is that, under the "Apps" tab, none of my app folders (created on the iPad) are shown on iTunes. Thanks to folders, all I have are 4 pages of apps, whereas iTunes shows 11. Yet, on iTunes, I can drag two apps together and create a folder -what gives?

- what's the best way to manage syncing? I currently have it set to NOT sync automatically when connected and to only sync checked items (songs/videos, etc).


Any help/tips are appreciated!

//edit:

The fsck? Without syncing (or changing anything), iTunes' capacity meter, at the bottom of the screen, just changed from showing 200MB free to 1GB OVER capacity.

You can easily manage multiple iOS devices on the same Apple ID on the same computer in iTunes.

When you first connect any one of them iTunes will open and a backup will be created. After that all you need to do is click on your device in the left-hand column and then click on the Apps section at the top. Check or uncheck the box next to the apps you want or don't want to sync with your device. Click on "Apply" at the bottom and the device will re-sync with only the apps you've checked. If later you find an app you don't want on your device simple tap and hold its icon until it starts jiggling. Press the "X" in the upper left-hand corner, confirm that you want to delete it and that's it. If you're missing an app you want reconnect it, check the box next to the app name and click on "Apply" (or if you're away from your computer you can download it from the iTunes Store again.

Once you fully sync your iPad all of the folders you've created on your iPad should be reflected on the iTunes Apps section as shown below and the capacity should be normal.

Hope that helps!