Firewire/USB 2.0 question

[Elwood]

I plan on buying an i pod in the future, perferably the 15 gig. The problem is I don't have a Firewire port, I do have a USB port but i do not know how to distinguish the difference between USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 which is compatiable with the I pod. My PC is about 3 years old and is a Pentium 3 800mhz and im running Windows ME

Additionally since I'am buying the 15 gig would buying the seperate USB cable solve my problem by upgrading it to USB 2.0 automatically?

Im not exactly sure how this works so if someone could please shed some light on the situation it would be much apprechiated.

[mikey]

Buying only the cable will not upgrade you to USB 2.0. You will need to buy either a firewire card or the Apple USB 2.0 cable and a USB 2.0 card.

Here's a guide to check if you have USB 2.0: Checking for USB 2.0 (http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm)

[enjoilax]

I say do this, Get the 20 w/ all the accesories, then hook up the firewire line out to the wall plug, and USB to the computer, that way.... You can have the ipod hooked up while chargin!

Color me a genius (or a thief)!

This in my opinion is the best way to hook up an ipod. I thought about doing the same but then i realized i have a 6pin firewire port.

[Elwood]

Thanks for the help, I have neither a firewire or a USB 2.0 hub. Now I have to shell out more money to purchase one of these. Which do you guys suggest is bettter for use with the i pod?

[Shadow]

Just to make sure you know, the iPod will work with USB 1, but it will transfer songs slowly. If you can live with that, you would just need to get the Firewire/USB cable from Apple.

If you want faster speeds, consider the following when selecting USB 2.0 or Firewire:

Firewire:
Allows you to charge and sync over the single firewire connection to your PC. No additional cables will need to be purchased. However, in order for it to charge the iPod, your PC will have to be turned on (may or may not be an issue for you).

USB 2.0:
You will also have to buy the Firewire/USB cable from Apple. You will then be able to charge and sync at the same time (charge via firewire to AC adapter and sync via USB to PC). There are reports posted in these forums that people are getting better battery life when charging the iPod via the AC Adapter vs. a firewire port.

[Elwood]

Thanks for the insight everyone, So using a USB 1 port will not damage my i pod or cause the battery to drain slower? Because when I do purchase im buying a 3 year extended warrenty to cover the battery drainage problem.

Also how slow would the songs take to transfer in USB 1 vs USB 2.0? Because I had my MP3 player for a brief period of time then i decided to return it in hopes for an i pod and with the mp3 player the songs transfered very quickly around 10 sec per song. What can i expect per song with an I pod running USB 1?

Also how is the I pod for skip protection and durability since I will be using this while im running?

[mikey]

IMO you should not use the iPod while running or any other high impact exercise. The iPod's 32 mb memory buffer will not have time to reload and your iPod will skip or freeze up after ~20 minutes. Some people have had success holding it in their hand or using specialized cases but nothing is guaranteed.

It is a night and day difference in transfer speeds between USB 1 and USB 2.0 or firewire. It will work for small transfers but might cause undo heat build up on the iPod's hard drive during large/long transfers.

[Elwood]

Now it looks like im going to have to buy a USB 2.0 PCI Card and a USB Cable :(

Would this one be a good choice and compatible with an i pod?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&dept=0&WLBS=fsweb7&sku_id=0665000FS10012095&catid=&newdeptid=18


Are there any problems while using the Mac software with Windows ME ?

Lastly what is meant by syncing? I see this come up quite often in the forum and im not sure what is exactly meant by it.

[mikey]

Apple doesn't officially support using the iPod with ME but people here have gotten them to work together, a search of the topic should give you some tips/help guide you.

Syncing is just another term for transfering files from a computer to the iPod. You can set iTunes to automatically sync your iPod with your iTunes library (whatever is in your library gets put on your iPod) or you can sync manually (you choose what music and playlists go on the iPod).

[hayesy]

Elwood, just to let you know I've been using the Firewire/USB cable with the USB 1 port on my laptop and it works just fine. Sure it's slower but you can leave it syncing overnight if you need to. I'd say it probably takes about 1min per album to sync.

I've also not noticed any heat build up or anything when syncing for long periods - it will be fine if you leave the iPod standing in the dock - just probably best to try to avoid covering up the back of it if you can when charging / syncing.

As for exercising when using the iPod, I've not noticed any problems there either - although due to a lack of fitness I don't run for longer than 20mins anyway!

Cheers

[ronross]

Originally posted by Elwood
Now it looks like im going to have to buy a USB 2.0 PCI Card and a USB Cable :(

Would this one be a good choice and compatible with an i pod?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&dept=0&WLBS=fsweb7&sku_id=0665000FS10012095&catid=&newdeptid=18


Whoa, not so fast: that's a *very* high price for a USB pci card, even in Canadian $.

Try searching on Google's shopping site:

http://www.froogle.com

The least expensive card (with 2 USB 2.0 ports) and a 3 year warranty is only $4.99!

http://store.yahoo.com/iwin2win/hispusb202xp.html

[pmoto]

I have seen numerous posts regarding firewire cards and/or USB 2.0 cards.

I like the convenience of having front access to these type of ports so I can easily plug or unplug portable devices (such as my ipod, digital camera, jump drives, etc) without having to crawl under my desk to access the ports on the back of my system.

I discovered there are several firewire/USB 2.0 combo cards available that install in one of your PCI slots but port access is through an open front drive bay (similar to a floppy). I purchased the following device for my system. It was easy to install and works great. It has 3 powered firewire ports and 5 USB 2.0 ports.

Koutech F7002 (http://www.koutech.com/proddetail.asp?linenumber=102)

Of course you must have an open PCI slot and an available front drive bay.

There are other similar products available so I included the above link only as an example (since it is the one I have). I know there are much cheaper cards available, but I like the front access convenience.

Just thought this might be useful information for those that prefer front access to their firewire and/or USB ports.

[Shadow]

Yeah, you may want to try USB 1 before you decide to get USB 2.0 or firewire. The first time you sync will probably be the longest as you put your current music collection onto the iPod. Sure, it may take a couple hours the first time. But, after that you'll most likely just be doing small transfers (just bought a CD or two, or download a couple songs). These transfers will go relatively quick even on USB 1. Howver, if you plan on using the iPod as a storage device for other sorts of large files (movies, large pictures, etc) you probably definitely want to upgrade.

[Bradp]

I was in the same boat man. I finally just bought one 2 days ago...and figured out my USB is 1.1, even tho my computer is only about a year old. I was mad. I hooked it all up, and the speed is fairly fast. USB 1.1 isnt that abd at all. I copied about 20 songs a minute, which i think isnt that bad.

[molallaboy]

IMO you should go with the USB2.0. I had a hell of a time with the Firewire because of my "older" motherboard. I picked up a cheap(19.99) Dlink USB2.0 card and the iPod USB cable and it has worked fine for me.

[robert]

Originally posted by mikey
IMO you should not use the iPod while running or any other high impact exercise. The iPod's 32 mb memory buffer will not have time to reload and your iPod will skip or freeze up after ~20 minutes. ...

I jog with my iPod for 30 minutes every other day since I got it in August with no problems whatsoever. Never, ever had a freeze or skip.

Can't imagine not buying a firewire card for $30 or so to get the speed -- if you have the slot on your computer. I just leave my firewire plugged in all the time to avoid climing behing the computer. Buy a extra iPod wire for Fire Wire and leave it dangling --$19.95 -- if you can't mount on front of your computer. The Griffin auto charger and the direct charger both use the iPod fire wire wire.

Note I have a 3G, so other models may be different.

[scorpioz]

am i the only one who got meself an $8 firewire card that works flawlessly ...
and now there is an even better deal

http://store.yahoo.com/mrtech/lui13fi31pci.html

with cable ...only $10

wat else do u need...?

[scorpioz]

i hv this one

http://store.yahoo.com/mrtech/viachie4pofi.html

right now $7/wshipping