Ipod as a portable Disk ?

When you get your iPod, you'll find an option in iTunes to enable disk use.

It's been a while, but I think it appears as a generic disk on a machine without iTunes installed (but it has been a while, I may have had to install iTunes on those machines and forgotten).

 

Yes. your ipod is a 60-30gb portable disk. just enable disk mode in the prefs. but be warned. Since the move to usb, the spinning hard disk uses more power than what USB can supply, during that time, the ipod will run off the battery. thus draining the battery instead of charging it. Also, is will cause the ipod's battery to go through more charge cycles, thus wearing your battery significantly more. One of my ipods had a really short battery life, despite moderate/low usage, and it was due to heavy disk usage (I picked the 40gb for a reason, and regularly transfered multiple GB of data.) Upon getting my other ipod, I've only used firewire to transfer files, so my battery is no longer affected. But I learned the hard way.


So if your intention is to use it as a pocket HD, just be aware of what USB can do to your ipod.

 

I didn't think video iPods could use Firewire other than to charge the battery.

lolex, I wouldn't worry too much about USB damaging your iPod.

 

I have the 40GB B/W 4G iPod. Its capable of both firewire AND USB. But seems like his intentions were the same as mine. Add little music, and the rest was for portable disk use. I didn't claim USB will blow up his ipod. I meant to say that if he constantly uses the drive, it will eventually affect his battery life. I has this personally happen to me. But now I only use firewire for transfers, which gives me enough power to charge while transferring.


Sorry if I scared you though. Not what I intended. Just wanted to make sure you were aware.

 

blaskillet4, I wasn't trying to undermine you. Sorry if it came across that way.

It's really interesting what you were saying though, and it makes sense although I think you'd need to be pretty hard on it to actually notice the difference. I have the same iPod as you (4G 40GB non-colour) and I've just started using USB instead of Firewire. I might change back.

 

Yeah, you might be right. I mean I did transfer many GB at a time [10+ sometimes ]. And screwed up my battery. But that was because my iPod was for my PC, which only had USB at the time. But now I have a Mac, and when my iPod got replaced (HD issues), I formatted it for my Mac, which has a lovely Firewire port . Now I can do the same, but without the worries. Actually, power is my biggest gripe against USB, not speed.

 

Yes USB sucks. Why, Apple, WHY strip away FireWire?!?

 

I'm really puzzled here. Some of you say there's firewire some of you say there isn't. So which is it!?

 

To the best of my knowledge, Firewire was dropped for both the nano and the newest (video) iPods. Before that you could use either/or.

 

Way to go Apple. Upgrade by removing features!? Is there a reason for that?

 

They can make the iPod thinner if they don't have to support both USB and Firewire apparently.

 

I wish they would just give you either/ or. That would be so much better.

 

Now that's a strategy Thank god they don't integrate the FM or voice rec and strip it off other usefull features.

 

They could have made it 1 mm thicker, but integrated FW!

 

Maybe they're planing to make a FW add-on device and squeeze more cash out of us

 

ipod fw connection?

I found a site thats sells a firewire pocketdock with lineout or not,the site is:

http://www.everythingipod.com/produ...ut&searchSKU=001-5221&eqAVAILdatarq=YES&max=1

sorry for the long web address

if they're selling these then why usb to transfer or charge the ipod?


iphil

 

http://sendstation.com/

Thats the to the horse website to buy that product and others they make.

I recently purchased that for my iPod Nano to hook it up to my car stereo. I just set it all up in my car and its awesome. No crap to deal with that FM transmitter junk.

If you have that attached and plug headphones into its provided port the sound is boosted greatly like a lil amp. I havent used the firewire that it came with but the thing is pretty sweet to have FW and a line out.