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iPod - 1G/2G PC compatibility (and Mac?)

N

noahsnyc

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 27, 2003
138
0
Los Angeles
Hello -

My brother and I are purchasing a 1G or 2G (5 or 10 gig) iPod (used) for our Dad's birthday. He has a PC.

I believe there was a 1G 5GB iPod made "after-the-fact" for PCs, and there were a ton of PC-formatted 2G 10GB models made.

Are there any iPods that won't work w/ PCs?

Will 1G 5 gig 'pods work on a Windows machine? How about 2G 'pods?

Is there any way with any generation of iPod to use it on both a Mac and a PC?

Also, if we get him an older iPod that was manufactured before iTunes was available for the PC, is he limited to MusicMatch Jukebox or is iTunes for Windows going to be "backwards compatible"?

Thanks so much,

N.
 
im almost positive that you can use a 2G iPod with iTunes but im not sure if there are a whole lot of 1G iPods compatible with windows, why not get him a 4G iPod :D im sure he'd love it, can't wait untill i get the cash to order mine
 
davefan6435 said:
why not get him a 4G iPod :D im sure he'd love it, can't wait untill i get the cash to order mine
Click to expand...

Don't rub it in...The whole family would love one!! Unfortunately, between my brother and I, we're looking at about $100 for this birthday...There's always the holidays....

N.
 
look what i found

in that case id hold out for a used 10gig G3 just because of the size difference between 2G and 3G is huge, unless of course that doesn't make a big difference for your dad. check out what i found on eBay for $100 a 3G 15 gigger thats what. hope it helps you out. keeps your dad at least one step closer to the latest and greatest. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=171&item=5111314463&rd=1

by the way, musicmatch is awful as well as many other iPod software compared to iTunes, it is the greatest!
 
Dude, you rock!

Thanks for the head's up...we'll try to get him the best we can...then we'll start shopping for ourselves...:)

n
 
I agree with dave, good luck finding a 10GB 3g for your dad... very nice of you to do so. :)

For the record though, I reckon it would absolutely rock to have a 1g or 2g iPod these days - whilst the Minis are super rare, the 3g (and soon the 4g) will be ubiquitous - people have them everywhere you look. The 1g and 2g are becoming extremely rare beasts - in fact, I don't think I've seen one in public since the 3gs came out!
 
hi!

I have a 2G 10GB iPod and I use it both with my PC and my Mac. Basically the key point with the compatability with both platforms issue is the disk format used with in the iPod. The original idea was that the Mac iPods were formatted with the Mac File System (and so would not work with PCs), so the Windows iPods were formatted with FAT file system.
Now, we all know that Mac OS can read FAT file systems, and so a Windows iPod will work with both your PC and you Mac. However, if you have a Mac iPod, you can convert it to a Windows iPod (and hence an iPod that will work with both machines).
Basically make sure that you do an iPod software update on your PC only, and that will ensure that the iPod will work with both PC and Mac.

This is what I have done, and it works fine. I believe in fact that the 3G and 4G iPods use the FAT file system, and this is why they will work with both Macs and PCs out of the box.

Hope this info helps!

Marko
 
OziMac said:
For the record though, I reckon it would absolutely rock to have a 1g or 2g iPod these days - whilst the Minis are super rare, the 3g (and soon the 4g) will be ubiquitous - people have them everywhere you look. The 1g and 2g are becoming extremely rare beasts - in fact, I don't think I've seen one in public since the 3gs came out!
Click to expand...

Dude - That's hilarious! You're basically saying that the 1/2G 'pods are already retro!! The crazy part is that you're right. I have a 1G 5GB, and someone the other day asked if it was the 'new one'!

Personally, I dig the design of the 1/2G much more than the 3G, and the 4G is definitely where it's at. The 3G kind of muddled the concept of having all the controls in one place, centered. The 1/2G had the controls on the periphery of the scroll wheel and now on the the 4G (and the mini) it's all actually built into the wheel, which makes just as much sense.

Also, can I mention that my scroll wheel actually turns ?? Yeah, and it rocks, it's an actual tactile feel, something rotating as I scroll through my music. Damn straight. The new click-wheel is amazing and kind of combines the tactile, clicking satisfaction and the stabile, rock-hard security.

Ok, enough tangent.

N.
 
I bought one of the first Windows 20Gb iPods (I was a Windows user at the time but I've kicked the habit now). Instead of Musicmatch I used EphPod, which suited me better. When I switched to a Powerbook a few weeks ago, the iPod still worked fine with the PB, although I decided to abandon all Windows ties and converted the iPod to a Mac filesystem when I did the latest firmware upgrade.

I personally like the layout of the 2G better than the 3G, and it has a bit better battery life. The 4G is interesting but my 2G is still going strong, so I'm still a happy camper.

So what is it with Apple products? Is there some mind control drug embedded in the cases? It seems when you buy one of their products, it's only a question of time before you start buying more :)
 
Sorry, but the auction at that eBay link is going to end way above $100, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it hit $200. Take a look through completed auctions to get an idea of what you might be able to get for $100. If you are looking to spend $100 I think you are going to have to stick to either a 1G 5G model, or maybe a 1G 10GB. However, I'm pretty sure that when the latest windows firmware is loaded onto one of these iPods they become fully Windows compatible, even though they weren't originally compatible when released. Maybe someone with a 1G iPod would be willing to test this out for you?
 
blodwyn said:
I bought one of the first Windows 20Gb iPods (I was a Windows user at the time but I've kicked the habit now). Instead of Musicmatch I used EphPod, which suited me better.
I personally like the layout of the 2G better than the 3G, and it has a bit better battery life. The 4G is interesting but my 2G is still going strong, so I'm still a happy camper. So what is it with Apple products? Is there some mind control drug embedded in the cases? It seems when you buy one of their products, it's only a question of time before you start buying more :)
Click to expand...

I think it's a lifestyle. There's nothing like an Apple product, so it engenders a commitment. Also, they've done such a good job with connectivity, that when one has an Apple product and finds another that looks like it'll be useful with it, they know inherently that the two will work together. When you buy from Apple, like buying from VW or a pair of Levis, you're buying into an ethos as much as a computer. Think of it this way: Until other companies started making portable personal stereos, the Walkman and it's followers were synonymous with Sony. Now, the term "Walkman" applies to just about anything portable and stereophonic. I'm sure that when the only portable digital music players are iPods, when Apple is so connected to how people download, manage, store and listen to their music, the same will happen.

Tangent over.
Thanks.

N.
 
Elan0204 said:
However, I'm pretty sure that when the latest windows firmware is loaded onto one of these iPods they become fully Windows compatible, even though they weren't originally compatible when released. Maybe someone with a 1G iPod would be willing to test this out for you?
Click to expand...

Just for the info, I surfed the depths of old Apple Support pages and ipodlounge.com to find that, while originally, 1 and 2G iPods were designated as Mac-only or PC-only, the new releases of iPod Software Update (1.3) will allow any iPod to be reformatted for either Mac HFS+ or FAT32 (Windows' format). Also, Macs can read FAT32, so having a Windows' iPod doesn't really matter. However, Windows of course can't read HFS (that'd be too sane), so if you have a Mac iPod, regardless of generation, you'll have to reformat it with iPod Software Update on your PC to get it to FAT32...That's what I found out....fantastic.

Thanks a bunch
N
 
OziMac said:
I agree with dave, good luck finding a 10GB 3g for your dad... very nice of you to do so. :)

For the record though, I reckon it would absolutely rock to have a 1g or 2g iPod these days - whilst the Minis are super rare, the 3g (and soon the 4g) will be ubiquitous - people have them everywhere you look. The 1g and 2g are becoming extremely rare beasts - in fact, I don't think I've seen one in public since the 3gs came out!
Click to expand...
my 1g 5gb is still rocking hard, and recieves compliments and stares of spite to this day :D nothing like being the original.

don't buy a 4g, they have so many defects/problems its not even funny. 3g is the generation to buy, my 1g just makes me happy. nice b-day present, your dad will love it.
 
BrianKonarsMac said:
don't buy a 4g, they have so many defects/problems its not even funny. 3g is the generation to buy, my 1g just makes me happy. nice b-day present, your dad will love it.
Click to expand...

What kind of defects and problems have you heard about the 4G? Everything I've heard is that it fixes everything funky with the 3Gs...
N.
 
noahsnyc said:
What kind of defects and problems have you heard about the 4G? Everything I've heard is that it fixes everything funky with the 3Gs...
N.
Click to expand...

He's referring to the cosmetic defects discussed in this article, among other places. Plus, there have been reports of audio problems. You can read more about that issue here.
 
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