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wkhahn

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 5, 2005
52
0
standing over your shoulder
Due to an unfortunite accident 9 months ago involving my wife, a bowl of cereal and our iBook G3, I have recently upgraded computers to the 20" iMac. I also got an airport express. A few months ago I got a 5G iPod as a replacement for a 4G that kept killing hard drives. I was glad to get the new computer because I can now sync the iPod over something a little faster then USB 1.1. The intial sync took a little more than 15 hrs. Thaknfully I seldom have much to add to my iPod so syncs since then have been faster, usually about 5- 10 mins. Does an yone know if it is possilbe to sync my iPod using the USB port on the Airport express? Can the USB port be used for anything other than a printer or 3d party remote? It has to be a two way link, otherwise the computer would never know when a print job was done, or the remote tell itunes to skip this song or change volume.
 

dylan

macrumors 6502
Jul 9, 2005
368
0
As far as I know it is for a printer only. Sorry

BTW 15 hours seems like a looong time for USB 2.0. You didn't plau it into the keyboard did you?
 

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
Yeah, the AirPort USB port can't even be used for scanners, let alone iPod syncing. It'd be ridiculously slow anyway, even if it was possible. :(
 

Mitthrawnuruodo

Moderator emeritus
Mar 10, 2004
14,433
1,075
Bergen, Norway
As others have said, you cannot sync the iPod over the AirPort Express...

And isn't the regular speed USB really just fine for additional syncs, once that first monster sync is done? Usually when I sync the iPod mini it also needs 4 hrs of charging and the time it takes to sync becomes purely academic...

But since you can use the AirPort Express USB port to charge a Shuffle, maybe you can use it for charging bigger iPods, too...? I haven't tried it and have no idea whether it will work or not, but it seems viable...
 

steve_hill4

macrumors 68000
May 15, 2005
1,856
0
NG9, England
It does charge through USB on an Airport, (testing it with 4G Photo right now), but immediately tells me not to disconnect. No way around it other than to unplug I'm afraid, but since it does no damage, (not mounted), what the hell.
 

wkhahn

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 5, 2005
52
0
standing over your shoulder
I had found information on charging iPods using AX, but nothing about the possibiliity of syncing. And as for the innordinate initial sync, it was over USB1. If ipods had only ever synced over USB 2, I would not have bought one until I had a new computer, as the old iBook was USB 1 and Firewire. Thanks for the help.
 
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