# iPod nano and USB 1.1?



## iZac (Mar 6, 2005)

Hi all,

I have an older Powerbook, so it only has a USB 1.1 connection (and Firewire). Unfortunately it seems that the iPod nano is only compatible with USB.... so I was wondering, how long would it take to fill up 4GB of songs over a USB 1.1 connection?

Also, even if it took a long time to fill up just once, I'm thinking that from that point on, i would only be updating a couple songs, or at most, an album at a time. Keeping this in mind, would it make the upload times bearable?

I really want an iPod nano, but it'll be disappointing if it's going to take forever to transfer songs....

Thanks for your help guys!


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

the iPod nano has a STANDARD dock connector that's compatible with every other dock connector previously made, so in essence you can pull out that iPod, iPod Photo, and iPod Mini firewire dock you may have laying around and use that. It'd look silly though. 

And for the record I used my iPod Shuffle on my old PC that only had USB 1.1 and it would take no more than three minutes to fill up my 512MB Shuffle, not bad for 1.1.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

No you can't. From what I've read there is no firewire support in the iPod nano. You would have to use a USB cable.

Transferring 4GB of music with USB 1.1 would be terribly slow. Hours and hours..

3 mins to fill a 512MB Shuffle using 1.1?? No f'in way. It takes that long to fill mine using 2.0.


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## Daktari (Feb 21, 2005)

USB 1.1 max transfer rate = 12Mbits/s = 3Mbytes/s (4 bits = 1 byte).

((4 * (10^9)) / (3 * (10^6))) / 60 = 22.2222222 mins

This is assuming maximum transfer rates which rarely happens. Assuming practical throughput of 900KB 

which means ((4 * (10^9)) / (900 * (10^3))) / 60 = 74.0740741mins

Please note I am typing this after having a few drinks and everyone is yelling for me to leave the laptop, and join the party  .


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

Thanks for doing the math.. I was going to try, but then I remembered I suck at it. 

What is that calculation at the end with 74 mins, the 512MB Shuffle or the 4GB nano?


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## i stole this name (May 9, 2005)

Daktari said:


> USB 1.1 max transfer rate = 12Mbits/s = 3Mbytes/s (4 bits = 1 byte).
> 
> ((4 * (10^9)) / (3 * (10^6))) / 60 = 22.2222222 mins
> 
> ...



There are 8 bits in a byte.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Daktari said:


> USB 1.1 max transfer rate = 12Mbits/s = 3Mbytes/s (4 bits = 1 byte).
> 
> ((4 * (10^9)) / (3 * (10^6))) / 60 = 22.2222222 mins
> 
> ...













Er....

yeAH! 

GOTCHA!









_But can ya do that when yer SOBER?!!_




I Stole This Name said:


> There are 8 bits in a byte.


Mmmmm! I LOVE bits and bites!


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

kloan said:


> What is that calculation at the end with 74 mins, the 512MB Shuffle or the 4GB nano?


No. I think that's his calculation for total transfer time _based on *the typical* data transfer rates for USB 1.1_, regardless of the Pod.

that, i think I got







but in truth IT ALL SOUNDED LIKE THIS to me


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## i stole this name (May 9, 2005)

A USB 2 transfer rate on the iPod, with ECC, will probably max out at 10mB/sec

Not everything comes down to maths.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

But we're talkin' bout USB *1.1*, here. The purpose of this thread is to figure out how excruciatingly long a big transfer to an iPod would take over a USB 1.1 buss. Er... RIGHT? (actually, I'm just here for the comedic relief. You know: "class clown" and all. But whatever.)


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## i stole this name (May 9, 2005)

Well, you think about it. if a USB 2 transfer can top out at 10... USB 1 will not hit 1mB/s.

Just leave it running overnight.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Yes, and the point that we've driven into the ground already is just that: USB 1.1 is slow. DAMNED SLOW And he's stuck with it. And like you say, leave it to transfer overnight.

Thread concluded??


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## i stole this name (May 9, 2005)

In the end, he was seeking an alternative to the slow USB 1.1 bus. That alternative is the purchase of an iPod mini or iPod color. Else, you're out of luck buddy. If you can live with the transfers then hey thats great.

Finally, you could shell out for a USB 2 PC card, but is it really worth it?


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## iZac (Mar 6, 2005)

aw man... does that mean i'm out of luck? I can't get a USB 2.0 card, because i have an older 12" Powerbook, so I can't really stick a card in it.

So... can someone decipher all that math stuff for me? All i'm getting so far is that it's gonna take a REALLY long time to transfer 4gb over USB 1.1... but are we talking a couple hours, or something more like half a day? 

And my last question... let's say it really did take 12 hours or more to load up 4gb... from that point on, I would only be updating a couple of songs at a time. So will the iPod be smart enough to just take a couple minutes updating those couple songs, or will it have to refresh the WHOLE 4gb all over again?

Man... i wish there were some way i could justify getting the nano, lol


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Are you denying my claims about USB 1.1? I bought my PC back in 2002 but for some reason they didn't put USB 2.0 in even though the motherboard had USB 2.0 headers, all the ports were listed as USB 1.1. (It's like using a USB 1.1 hub in a USB 2.0 port, you're only going to get USB 1.1) and I didn't bother going USB 2.0 anyway because I thought it wouldn't make a difference.. I got my Shuffle in March or April or whenever it was and thought like "great it's going to be slow"... It still managed to take just a second and a half to transfer one song, and less than three minutes to get the whole 512MB filled. No BS.


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## Daktari (Feb 21, 2005)

i stole this name said:


> There are 8 bits in a byte.


I just woke up and I cannot believe I made that mistake. Thanks for catching it.

(4 * (10^9)) / (<B>1.5</B> * (10^6))) / 60 = 44.444444 mins

Again this is assuming maximum transfer rates which rarely happens. Assuming practical throughput of 900KB to a 4GB ipod.

((<B>4 * (10^9</B>)) / (900 * (10^3))) / 60 = 74.0740741mins

Cheers


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## Daktari (Feb 21, 2005)

Macaholic said:


> Er....
> 
> yeAH!
> 
> ...


I mixed up the bits, bytes and barley and hops!


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## capitalK (Oct 21, 2003)

If you have a PCMCIA slot (any 15 or 17" Powerbook G4 or any Powerbook G3 will have this slot) you can buy an ADS Cardbus USB 2.0 card. We sell them at Carbon for $49.

Edit: sorry I didn't see page 2 and didn't see you had a 12" Powerbook.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

dona83 said:


> Are you denying my claims about USB 1.1?


That's exactly what I'm doing. There's no chance in hell of ever reaching the speeds you're claiming with USB 1.1... ain't happenin.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Well I did reach those speeds, that's why I never complained. Well 44 minutes to fill 4GB would mean 5.5 minutes to fill up 512MB, so ok ok maybe it did appear faster than it actually was and took 5.5 minutes not 3 minutes to fill my 512MB iPod Shuffle but you get my point  44 minutes though wow, um, tough luck I guess....


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