MetaChat - Questions about new iPods

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14 November 2005

Questions about new iPods So I just read the review of the new video iPod at ilounge.com. Apple's dropped firewire support "for data transfer". WTF?→[More:]

So, I'm curious:

1. Is the thing now not usuable as a hard drive? I assume I can't boot to a USB 2.0 external disk.

2. Last time I checked, the 4th gen iPod could not charge via the Mac's USB 2.0 port. It could transfer music (while draining the battery), but you had to charge it via the wall adapter. Apple no longer includes a wall adapter. In short: WTF? Is it now impossible to transfer and charge at the same time on a Mac?

Normally the above would make me say fuck it, I'll keep my 4G, but I have the opportunity to upgrade for about $30 or so and the longer battery life and supposedly better sound are tempting, as is a longer warranty (I couldn't give two shits about video).

post by: dobbs at: 00:58 | 11 comments

1. You can use it as a hard drive, you just can't boot from it. Apple doesn't support booting from USB hard drives.

2. I'm not aware that you can't charge via the USB cable, but you can buy a Firewire transfer cable ($20 or so) if you need to use FW ports for charging and data transfer. I don't think this cable restores booting capability.

If you need to boot your computer from the hard drive, then you'd need to stick with the 4G. I'm pretty sure you can charge via the USB cable, though.

And indeed you can, albeit from a powered USB port. So this would be connected at the back of your computer and not via a keyboard hub, for example. (Or you'd use a powered hub, if need be.)

posted by AlexReynolds 14 November | 01:40

According to this, Firewire still works with the new iPods. They just don't supply new iPods with a firewire cable.

posted by seanyboy 14 November | 04:05

From the Daring Fireball link: This has raised the hackles of some Mac users, for several reasons. Mostly, however, it is a symbolic slight, in that it indicates that Apple is no longer interested — or at the very least, not as interested — in making the Mac iPod experience better than the Windows iPod experience.

Oh, please. When HP and other companies stopped including cables with their printers, the world didn't veer off its axis. Apple no doubt realises a number of iPod purchasers are repeat customers. Customers which may not immediately require an additional connector. Tally in the amount of refurbished merchandise that any computer/electronics company may incur during the run of a successful product line, the withdrawal of an accessory cable for sale as a seperate item scarcely amounts to a platform-predjudical conspiracy.

posted by Smart Dalek 14 November | 07:32

Apple no doubt realises a number of iPod purchasers are repeat customers.

Except that the connector changed from the 3G models on. So if repeat customers are 1G and 2G iPod owners who haven't upgraded to a Mac with USB 2.0 ports, they're stuck with another $20 purchase.

posted by AlexReynolds 14 November | 08:11

When I plug my 5G iPod in using a 3G firewire cable, the iPod screen says "FireWire connections are not supported. To transfer songs, connect the USB cable provided." Odd.

posted by Armitage Shanks 14 November | 09:02

Quickly, iPod owners, drink more Kool-Aid!

Now, don't you feel much, much better?

:P

posted by mr_crash_davis 14 November | 09:59

So does this mean we'll all get free Firewire cables for our iRivers? No? No freebie? :P

posted by AlexReynolds 14 November | 10:15

This seems an opportune place to repost this classic.

posted by killdevil 14 November | 10:19

Thanks, Alex.

seanyboy, that link is regarding the 4G iPods, not the 5G. Gruber's 5G post confirms firewire is not supported.

posted by dobbs 14 November | 10:58

Apple no doubt realises a number of iPod purchasers are repeat customers. Customers which may not immediately require an additional connector.

I think it's more likely a way to get customers to pay a little more without having to raise the apparent sticker price of the iPod itself.

posted by me3dia 14 November | 13:56

The Nano, like the 5G iPod, will complain if you plug a Firewire plug into it. I don't think it will charge from it, even if plugged into the wall, and it certainly does not sync with it.

And the reason Apple did this is simple: USB 2.0 works fine on the modern Macs, and a Firewall connection is useless to a great majority of Windows users, and I'm sure Windows users make up a decent chunk of the user base. The ability to boot from an iPod is a niche market, and Apple was probably willing to dump it in favor of the price savings of no longer shipping a cable that was useless to so many of its customers. And the lack of backwards compatibility with old Macs? Well, this is Apple. They'd much rather you just buy a new Mac ;-)

posted by teece 14 November | 15:20

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