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iPod´s speaker minijack...

T

tubaz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 26, 2002
5
0
Helsinki, Finland
There were discussion about iPod´s headphone jack awhile ago cause it has these extra connectors. I just happened to look a picture of the new iMac´s rear and the "Apple speaker minijack for connection to Apple Pro Speakers" looked just like the one on iPod... or am I hallusinating...

Comments on anyone who has both?
 
Believe it or not (and I do not think this is the case), some times is cheaper for a company to create the same chip for different apliances even if that chip won't be totally used in every one of them.

I know there was a time when Apple produced an entire series of computers and the difference between the high, mid and low end was a jumper comfiguration because the processor was the same in all 3 computers (except by the hard drive and memory). I'm not sure if that was the first generation blue G3 tower.

In the PC world that happens all the time, the same architecture but just a little something that changed the functionallity of the product.
 
I'm looking at my iPod right now, those metal pieces are a bit fishy, but probably just for people to speculate on(us right now):rolleyes: I wouldn't be surprised if Apple did that
 
im looking at mine to....

i think its just for other companys to "add on" to the ipods capabilitys or some form of "advanced" headsets yet to be released, or maby its to make the iPod look different. my guess is for some future technology we have not heard of yet, but are prepared for. Lasttime i looked at Macaddict they had a little device you could hook up to your iPod and it becomes somesort of remote, perhaps this little iPod add on takes advantage of these metal peaces and the curcular gap.

BTW the only thing the iPd ir TRUELY missing is a firewire plug, to protect the connectors.

BTW again! how do you get that ball game on the ipod? or how do you find it?
 
ipod powered speakers?

when people talk about bundled pro speakers with the ipod (possibly in the future)... do they mean the speakers would be powered by the ipod battery. (no wires)

-bill
 
What the..... GAH! I just looked at my minijack plug and a piece just fell off! This lousy piece of... I treated this thing like a BABY from day one and yet I have scratches all over and pieces of plastic coming off. This is not acceptable! I'm just a bit peeved right now.
 
An idea...

This might get people's fur in a ruff, however, I have an idea as to what that odd-looking mini-jack is for. On the clamshell iBooks, the same mini-jack existed...and those systems came with a cable that was a male 1/8ths mini-jack on one end, and on the other, a split Red/White set of RCA jacks. Plug this cable into your iBook's mini-jack and a television and *tada*, your TV is now a projector.

Now, I still have my old cable...and I just bought a new 600 Mhz iBook the other day which comes equipped with the same type of mini-jack. I tried it out on the new iBook and it worked...so my theory is...

That modified mini-jack may enable video-output (among other things)...which could mean that, through some sort of future firmware manipulation, the iPod could be given the ability to port iTunes-like visualization to a television. Not all that exciting, but it I mentioned the possibility of other things...for example, what if the iPod could be made to play your latest iMovie on a television for everyone to see? Something to think about, huh? I never noticed that modified jack when I played with an iPod at the local Microcenter. Makes ya wonder...

-- smashedapart
 
Re: An idea...

Originally posted by smashedapart
This might get people's fur in a ruff, however, I have an idea as to what that odd-looking mini-jack is for. On the clamshell iBooks, the same mini-jack existed...and those systems came with a cable that was a male 1/8ths mini-jack on one end, and on the other, a split Red/White set of RCA jacks. Plug this cable into your iBook's mini-jack and a television and *tada*, your TV is now a projector.

Now, I still have my old cable...and I just bought a new 600 Mhz iBook the other day which comes equipped with the same type of mini-jack. I tried it out on the new iBook and it worked...so my theory is...

That modified mini-jack may enable video-output (among other things)...which could mean that, through some sort of future firmware manipulation, the iPod could be given the ability to port iTunes-like visualization to a television. Not all that exciting, but it I mentioned the possibility of other things...for example, what if the iPod could be made to play your latest iMovie on a television for everyone to see? Something to think about, huh? I never noticed that modified jack when I played with an iPod at the local Microcenter. Makes ya wonder...

-- smashedapart
Click to expand...

You have no idea what you are talking about. The metal things on the iPod connector are outside the connector. On the iBook rev A, just the red and white RCA cables do not transmit video, just right and left sound, respectively. The minijack on the rev A iBook was designed solely as audio out. It is a standard 1/8" minijack. On the white ones, it is a/v out. (this causes problems with most headphones on a regular basis: the screen will flash, and the monitor menu will have some really wierd options, such as NSTC 640x480, and all the PAL settings).
 
Re: An idea...

Originally posted by smashedapart
This might get people's fur in a ruff, however, I have an idea as to what that odd-looking mini-jack is for. On the clamshell iBooks, the same mini-jack existed...and those systems came with a cable that was a male 1/8ths mini-jack on one end, and on the other, a split Red/White set of RCA jacks. Plug this cable into your iBook's mini-jack and a television and *tada*, your TV is now a projector.

Now, I still have my old cable...and I just bought a new 600 Mhz iBook the other day which comes equipped with the same type of mini-jack. I tried it out on the new iBook and it worked...so my theory is...

That modified mini-jack may enable video-output (among other things)...which could mean that, through some sort of future firmware manipulation, the iPod could be given the ability to port iTunes-like visualization to a television. Not all that exciting, but it I mentioned the possibility of other things...for example, what if the iPod could be made to play your latest iMovie on a television for everyone to see? Something to think about, huh? I never noticed that modified jack when I played with an iPod at the local Microcenter. Makes ya wonder...

-- smashedapart
Click to expand...

The iPod is absolutely not capable, despite any software modification, of outputting video.


blakespot
 
Re: Re: An idea...

Originally posted by blakespot


The iPod is absolutely not capable, despite any software modification, of outputting video.


blakespot
Click to expand...

And the iPod is not capable of outputting audio to the Pro Speakers as well. The iPod would need a built in amplifier, and a HUGE battery. Try plugging the Pro Speakers into an old iMac. Even if the connectors would match, you wouldn't get any sound.....
 
Broken Plastic

Im with you Hemingrey... not acceptable a piece of my mini jack fell off today
I took pics and am e-mailing apple.
 
Re: Broken Plastic

Originally posted by ponyboy
Im with you Hemingrey... not acceptable a piece of my mini jack fell off today
I took pics and am e-mailing apple.
Click to expand...

My iPod is just over two weeks old. I called the Apple Store from where I bought it and they told me they could only send it in for service, AT MY COST (no warranty coverage!) I said, "how much will that cost?" There was a pause at the end of the other line. Finally, "Uh... cracked case... $255.00". LOL!! I laughed and said "That's a joke!" Needless to say, the employee agreed with me. So, I went to my nearest Apple Reseller and they're sending it in for me. And not a word about any $255.00 charge. If they try and pull that one over on me again I'll go as high up in the chain as I can go.

Let me know how it goes, ponyboy! These guys told me a minimum of 10 working days, so I'll keep you posted on my end too.
 
Fix my pod!

The apple web site states a 90 warranty on the ipod, where they will replace parts free (iprobably have to pay shipping). I bought mine online through the apple store about 6 weeks ago so I should be covered. I am online right now figuring the whole thing out, i'll let you all know. I think the worst thing is going to be that I will not have it for howeverlong it takes to get it fixed. I use it everywhere!
 
To answer a few questions here in a less speculative manner:

The jack on the iPod does not fit Apple Pro Speakers.. they have a completely different jack which is as memory serves shorter and wider than a normal one so the two can't be confused.. On the new iMac, the two jacks are side by side and you can clearly see they are different aside from markings.

The jack on the iPod is not the same as the jack on the Rev B (DV) iBooks. I have seen the cutaway view of the jack on a japonese site. The on the iBooks (and some PowerBooks?) is used to put out both stereo sound and NTSC composite video on special white adaptor cable which came with the iBooks. Some camcorders (like my Sony digital 8) also use this space-saving jack design to output stereo sound and video for monitor/TV playback. This same style jack is also used on many consumer CD players as the third wire needed to relate information between the player and a special wired remote that goes inbetween the player and the custom headset .. Some Technics players I've seen used that.. That way with their special headset only you had a remote control but could still plug in normal off the shelf headphones with no remote and it works either way.

iPod Jack:
iPod jack closeup

My suspicion was that Apple could be going either way with the iPod. There is talk that the iPod shipping container has an extra 'compartment' in the foam which looks sized for a remote control. This would be the most likely thing for the current design.. They simply didn't finish the remote or the programming code for the remote in time for selling the iPod on the marketing time table so they scrapped the remote until a future release.

Video, however, as we've seen in the iBook is not completely out of the question either.. It is possible that the next update of the iPod which would give it at least a 10GB drive (putting it on par with the hmm.. Rev. B iBooks! in terms of storate) would make it possible that the player could with a motherboard rework of some kind and a software change output ntsc video from quicktime files. It's notable that the processor they put in that thing is over rated for what it currently does.. that is, there's a lot of processing power left in that thing... and what for? Some say DSP/equalizing of the audio in a future update.. There is still more power under the hood than for that alone. Note that it's the same processor family that powered Apple's Newton organizers.. which we saw goes into the several hundreds of MHz in speed. Here's a little info on the ARM processor deployed in the iPod:

Pic of processor (in the iPod):
Pic of ARM based processor
Stats on this version of the processor:
Processor info

What I can't get info on is the exact speed of the processor in the iPod. That would be crucial information for answering the video capable or not video capable question. Even a G3 PPC at > 233 MHz can playback full screen video depending on compression methods.
 
jacked

Falling off yes. If you look at the innercircle on the speaker jack, the plastic is broken. I Have pics if I knew how to post them
 
Speakers

Have none of you traveled to an Apple store lately? JBL has a set of speakers out that are slef powered, and plug into any stereo headphone jack.

As far as video?

It's already been done. I forget the companies but I have seen two different companies with video capabilities built into their players. Here's a question...While i agree with what was said earlier about it being impossible to send video out through the headphone jack, would it be possibe to send it out through the firewire port? Something like how a DV camera plays movies through iMovie and FCP? Just a thought.


-Mark
 
GOOD NEWS!

The Apple Reseller called me today and said my iPod was ready! I was shocked, as it's only been eight days, and they said a MINIMUM of 10 WORKING DAYS... so I figured great, they'll just hand it back and say "sorry, you're SOL". Well, I get there, and they hand me a brand spankin' new iPod. :D :D :D !!

AND to top it off... they say that my broken mouse that I had tried to bring in earlier they found out is actually covered under a one year warranty and they hand me a new mouse too!

Holy ****ing ****!

:)
 
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