In the Apple ecosystem, what's the difference between an "Associated Device" and an "iTunes-authorized computer"?

Associated Device = iOS (iPod, iPhone, iPad)

Five is the number of computers that can be tied to each account. (iTunes)

Your apple id can have up to 10 devices and computers (combined) associated with it. Each computer must also be authorized using the same Apple id.

@AshlynM OK, so say your Apple ID is associated with 10 devices and/or computers. Then you use this same ID to “authorize” 5 devices/computers. What can you do with the other 5? They’re just “associated” but not “authorized”. What good is that?

I’m still confused.

“Authorized” refers to computers which have iTunes on them, and can store your library. “Associated” refers to devices as @johnpowell described, such as iPhones, iPods, etc. At one point I had iTunes on my iMac and a Mac Book Pro, plus I had an iPod Classic, an iPod nano, an iPod shuffle, and an iPhone. The Computers were authorized, the devices were associated.

@AshlynM Actually, it is five computers and five or ten (not really sure because I don’t have an iOS device), not ten of both. Also, iPods that don’t run iOS (all of them besides the touch) aren’t associated devices and you can as many as you want.

@wds2 That’s why I put “combined” in parentheses.