iPod touch No disk mode on iPod touch?

[PygmySurfer]

It looks like the iPod touch doesn't support disk mode, so I guess we won't be able to just copy files to it and use it like a regular USB storage device.

On the plus side, it looks like we don't have to worry about ejecting it. From the PC Mag review:

When your iPod touch has finished synching to your PC's library, you can just unplug it—none of this ejecting business that other iPods make you do (and everyone inevitably forgets to do once in awhile, prompting an ugly error screen on your computer).

 

[balamw]

When your iPod touch has finished synching to your PC's library, you can just unplug it—none of this ejecting business that other iPods make you do (and everyone inevitably forgets to do once in awhile, prompting an ugly error screen on your computer).

Unless you actually USE disk mode all the time or need to manage your music manually, just do what I do and enable disk mode on demand. Reset the iPod using select and menu, then hit select and play when the apple shows up. The iPod enters disk mode for that use only. I haven't needed to eject my iPod for a music sync in months.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93651

B

 

[rorschach]

I could have sworn I saw on the Apple site that it did support disk mode. Then again, they also said you could edit calendar events and look what happened.

 

[PygmySurfer]

Unless you actually USE disk mode all the time or need to manage your music manually, just do what I do and enable disk mode on demand. Reset the iPod using select and menu, then hit select and play when the apple shows up. The iPod enters disk mode for that use only. I haven't needed to eject my iPod for a music sync in months.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93651

B

Probably not applicable to the iPod touch.

 

[balamw]

Probably not applicable to the iPod touch.

I agree, since disk mode appears to be gone for iPod Touch and iPhone, but useful to anyone who is annoyed by "having" to eject their non-Touch iPod.

B

 

[madmaxmedia]

Not having Disk mode would be kinda lame. But maybe not so surprising, as the iPhone doesn't have it either (IIRC).

An iPod is a great backup device. Not for your entire HD, but good for important documents, etc.

I just found this discussion at Apple board-
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5312799

So far I don't think there has been anything concrete to indicate that the Touch will differ from the iPhone in this regard -- i.e. no disk mode. But there is also this item in the tech specs/capacity section: "Stores data via USB flash drive."

Indeed, the Nano and Classic both have this in their specs too.

EDIT- Check the Touch manual (link on MR front page.) There is no mention of disk mode, and in the screenshot of the iTunes settings page there is no option to turn disk mode on/off.

 

[PygmySurfer]

Not having Disk mode would be kinda lame. But maybe not so surprising, as the iPhone doesn't have it either (IIRC).

An iPod is a great backup device. Not for your entire HD, but good for important documents, etc.

I just found this discussion at Apple board-
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5312799



Indeed, the Nano and Classic both have this in their specs too.

All that says to me is the drive contained within is flash, and it connects via USB. I think if it supported being used as an external drive, it'd say "disk mode" or something similar.

 

[madmaxmedia]

I agree, it's grasping at straws. Which evidently don't exist, according to the Touch manual...

 

[clevin]

more restrictions, unbelievable..... no file manager, H.264 only, and no disk mode, no 3rd party video player... so I guess only usage for me is a browser....struggling....

 

[madmaxmedia]

more restrictions, unbelievable..... no file manager, H.264 only, and no disk mode, no 3rd party video player... so I guess only usage for me is a browser....struggling....

Is video playback actually gimped? I think it's still H.264 and MPEG4, no different than the other iPods (unless you mean poor codec support in general.)

 

[72930]

Hoefully by the time there's a 64GB Touch, there will be iPodLinux for it, to provide the missing features...this will be difficult without disk mode...

 

[photinus@gmail.]

FYI.

No disk mode on the touch. Got my 16gb today, no sign of disk mode anywhere.

 

[shoefly]

I don't understand why people are excited that you don't have to eject. On my mini, 2G shuffle and 5G iPod, if disk mode isn't enabled, I'm able to just unplug.

 

[DsurioN]

This can probably be jailbroken just like the iPhone to be able to use it as a disk.

 

[photinus@gmail.]

This can probably be jailbroken just like the iPhone to be able to use it as a disk.

I'm trying to do that now, I'm downloading the ipod software update now to extract the firmware file

 

[Eidorian]

I want disk usage. It's convenient not to have to carry around my 120 GB drive all the time.

 

[RebelScum]

No disk mode confirmed.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306414

This toads the wet sprocket. I use my ipod habitually as a portable drive. I kind of rely on it. Now, because I want an itouch, I have to carry 2 iPods around with me everywhere, or buy a thumbdrive? Balls.

 

[madmaxmedia]

Probably reason why there's no disk mode

Regular iPods can be formatted with FAT32 for Windows and Mac compatibility, or HFS+ for Mac compatibility.

The iPhone and iPod Touch must use HFS+ due to its OS. Disk mode could be enabled for Mac users, but not for Windows users. I think Apple chose to leave it off entirely because most of its users are Windows, and they want to keep the feature set the same for both platforms.

Some have argued that you could partition a portion of the drive as FAT32, but I think that introduces extra complexity into the system.

Mac users at least have a workaround-
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/21/use-your-ipod-touch-as-second-rate-400-usb-stick/

I haven't tried it, maybe its a hassle. Perhaps eventually there will be a simple app that will mount your Touch/iPhone as a regular volume (basically duplicating regular iPod disk mode.)

 

[TheSpaz]

Maybe there's no disk mode so that you can't hack it and just toss the iPhone apps on it. If it had a disk mode, you'd be able to turn on hidden files and extract whatever you wanted from it and add any feature you wanted to it and this would be bad for Apple.

 

[kockgunner]

Hack?

Would it be possible to hack the iPod Touch and make it have a disk mode?

 

[nouras]

So does this mean I can't copy songs off my touch onto another comp? (previously done through the hidden music folder).

Are there any 3rd party apps that can do it? I know there are for the older gen ipods but how bout the iphone/ipod touch?

 

[parrotheadmjb]

Is video playback actually gimped? I think it's still H.264 and MPEG4, no different than the other iPods (unless you mean poor codec support in general.)

whats funny is they make it sound like two different video formats, all H.264 is is MPEG4 Layer 10? I believe, same format just denser.

 

[TonyHoyle]

Maybe there's no disk mode so that you can't hack it and just toss the iPhone apps on it. If it had a disk mode, you'd be able to turn on hidden files and extract whatever you wanted from it and add any feature you wanted to it and this would be bad for Apple.

The available files are is in a chroot jail, and you can put all the apps you like there.. the touch won't execute them as it only looks for pictures, videos and music in those directories. That's why the breaking out of the jail is such a hard thing.

 

[eddmond]

There is software to use disk mode with iPod touch

Apple doesn't support disk mode in the iPhone or iPod Touch, but there is a company that produces great software that allows you to use you iPhone and iPod in "disk mode". In addition the software allows you to download files (music, video, etc..) from you iPod touch or iPhone, and also does everything that iTunes does. Go to the following link:
http://www.wideanglesoftware.com/touchcopy/

You can download a trial version for free. It costs $24.00, which I think is well worth it.

 

[Resist]

If it makes anyone feel any better the Zune doesn't show up on the desktop either.