USB 2.0 Question (help) & Ipod

[ben_turner]

hi dudes

im gonna get a Ipod 15gb For my birthday, but i no for sure my pc does not have usb2.0 what is required to get usb 2.0? and how hard is it to get it? also where did you guys get your ipod's from?

thanks in advance

Ben

[nips]

The USB type is governed by the motherboard. If you Mobo supports 2.0 then good for you.

I've not got an iPod, I've got a different WMA player, but some support firewire which is equally as good. I don't know about the iPod though!

I was wondering, is there are 1.1 to 2.0 converter or something for your USB ports or summit?

[Fire]

It should say in your motherboards manual whether all or some of the USB ports support USB 2.0.

If none do then you can get a USB 2 PCI card which will give 2 or 3 USB2.0 slots in the rear of your PC. Not sure how much these cost and how good they are compared to firewire though.

[eghamninja]

You will have to buy a special USB2 cable from Apple as the iPod does not come with one, it costs around the same price as a Firewire adaptor which would be a better bet as the iPod can recharge itself when connected to the Firewire cable.

[Freddo]

or you can get a firewire card which is about the same price and is faster

[tankplanker]

I'd go for the firewire card for your pc too, its very fast, faster than USB 2.0.

[Super Stu]

USB 2 (full) - 480Mbps

IEEE 1394 (Firewire 1) - 400Mbps

Unless there's some inherent latency (and other overheads) issues I'm not aware of with USB 2.

[ben_turner]

guys i really dont have a clue if my pc has a firewire card/port, and i dont have the motherboard manual any tips on finding out? the pc will be 2 years old next month so it was the latest stuff when i bought it.

Thanks for the help!

Ben

[nips]

If it is 2 years old, I don't know if it will have USB 2.0.

You tell if your PC supports Firewire as it will have the symbol that looks kinda like the radioactive sign.

If you press the windows button and hold it, then pause|break in the top right, go to device manager (under Hardware in winXP)... Look for 1394... that means you have fire wire...

Alternatively you could look for a port with a symbol like the one below on it, on the back of your PC:



Otherwise go to http://www.tekheads.co.uk and look for a USB 2.0 PCI card.

[tankplanker]

USB 2 (full) - 480Mbps

IEEE 1394 (Firewire 1) - 400Mbps

Unless there's some inherent latency (and other overheads) issues I'm not aware of with USB 2.

well according to apple, firewire is slightly slower:

http://www.apple.com/firewire/

plus the USB standard does have more overheads than firewire, and isn't really suited to pulling data of a DV Camera for example

heres a link to another site that states that it is the other way round (acutal test rather than apples standard bandwidth quotes)

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/usb20vsfirewire/

this matches my experience of USB 2.0 vs Firewire with HD based devices

heres a link at Toms Hardware saying the same:

http://www.toms-hardware.ru/mobile/20020827/index.html

back on topic, its possible that your PC supports USB 2.0, its new enough, download & install Sandra Standard and it will tell you all:

http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html?dir=dload&location=sware_dl_x86&langx=en&a=

[ben_turner]

If it is 2 years old, I don't know if it will have USB 2.0.

You tell if your PC supports Firewire as it will have the symbol that looks kinda like the radioactive sign.

If you press the windows button and hold it, then pause|break in the top right, go to device manager (under Hardware in winXP)... Look for 1394... that means you have fire wire...

Alternatively you could look for a port with a symbol like the one below on it, on the back of your PC:



Otherwise go to http://www.tekheads.co.uk and look for a USB 2.0 PCI card.

i found that, and it says 1394 bus host controller, that it then?

[tankplanker]

Yup, thats it.

[ben_turner]

safe dudes. the firewire cable come with it as standard? i bes get ordering then!

big thanks for the help

[Ginza]

I got my ipod from john lewis direct and i got some firewire ports fitted in to my computer. cheap ones bought from pc world and i did it myself. I would go for firewire over usb 2.0 as the transfer speeds are a lot faster.

Its funny to hear that just after i have bought my ipod there is a huge shortage in the UK. John Lewis are now out of stock for every version of the ipod.

Read the following quote for more details..

The UK has been hit by a shortage of iPods, with resellers complaining they are unable to keep pace with demand.


Neeley Casserly, marketing manager of Reading-based reseller Rapid Group, said: "There are supply issues with high-capacity iPods. At the moment there?s an eight-week delivery lag".


Meanwhile, Justin Huckfield ? director of Nexus Graphic Systems ? says that "iPods are bad news?, adding: ?I just can't get them from Apple.?


Some resellers claim one problem is that Apple?s priority seems to be keep its own online Apple Store stocked with iPods. One reseller, who wished to remain unnamed, suggested Apple ?must treat resellers with more respect if it wants to increase market share?.


Another reseller claimed to have been reduced to buying via mail-order and from John Lewis to meet demand for iPods.


All iPod configurations remain available on the UK Apple Store, although there is a two to three week waiting time.


An Apple spokesman said: "There is heavy demand for iPods, and the company is doing everything it can to keep up with this".


Demand has been huge worldwide. Most recently, Australia Reseller News reported a shortage in Australia, with similar reports emerging from Irish sources. The company sold its millionth iPod in its third financial quarter.


The product has become the ultimate celebrity trinket, with A-list owners including the Beckhams, David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Ginza from the ntsc-uk forums.

[Super Stu]

It's not a lot faster and certainly not worth obtaining a Firewire card if you already have USB2.0 present.

He says, from studying those articles in-depth.