Apple burns faithful for $1 per iPod

Mephisto said:
Not really true. Windows includes drivers for the more common chipsets in the default install and has had Firewire networking for a long time. If MS were shunning Firewire I hardly think they would go to the effort of implementing FW networking. It is not something most Windows users would know about or complain if it was missing.
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Unlike some of the other peripherals, they don't write the drivers. They license them. Semantics, I suppose. Printers, for instance, some are licensed and some are MS-developed when the vendor can't or won't write to the spec. USB is their interconnectivity model of choice. Licensing drivers for fire-wire was a market-reaction move, similar to the inclusion of the Unix Tools for NT a few years back.
 
Go3iverson said:
Bottom line is, pertaining to the iPod, all of this is moot. :) Of course, with that said, I'm slightly dissapointed that Apple dropped the FireWire cable, but, if more people using iPods are using USB 2.0, credit Apple for being willing to move away from their own tech to appease the masses. As they said over and over at WWDC, they're not trying to re-invent the wheel. ;)
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Excellent point. We're right back to VHS vs. BetaMax. Beta was technically superior, but for some reason as yet unfathomed (probably price and timing), VHS was more embraced by the masses. Remember, in the PC world, Firewire was "that thing to connect digital video cameras" (according to the retailers) and wasn't used beyond that for quite some time.

Sadly, Better ain't always "better".
 
chornbe said:
Excellent point. We're right back to VHS vs. BetaMax. Beta was technically superior, but for some reason as yet unfathomed (probably price and timing), VHS was more embraced by the masses. Remember, in the PC world, Firewire was "that thing to connect digital video cameras" (according to the retailers) and wasn't used beyond that for quite some time.

Sadly, Better ain't always "better".
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It's all about finding the killer app at the right time. FW was great for digital cameras, but they're a costly item (esp. back when FW came out).

What Apple needed was the iPod (i.e. just a couple years earlier), or some other lower cost, popular gadget to make PC users think "why don't we have that?".

Same thing goes for gigabit ethernet, FW800 and other Apple stuff - ahead of it's time.

Kap
 
Uh, how does the iPod recharge independently? On my iPod atleast, the charger brick only has a firewire port... so, how would the new iPods charge? Do they have Charger bricks with USB ports?
 
^Exactly.

I know people can charge the iPod via computer (if someone couldn't do this, what would be the point of having the iPod?), but I know not everyone would like to do that.
 
chornbe said:
Excellent point. We're right back to VHS vs. BetaMax. Beta was technically superior, but for some reason as yet unfathomed (probably price and timing), VHS was more embraced by the masses.
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If you lived during that time it was easy to know why VHS won out. Beta was only available from Sony. VHS was offered by more than one vendor and a lot cheaper. Besides the TVs at the time could only handle so much clarity (unless you unloaded a crazy amount of money during tough economic times) and VHS look almost as good as Beta. Put on top with a cheaper unit, it was that simple.
 
No one has yet to bring up these points:

1) the difference between the price of a
FW cord vs. a USB2.0 cord is negligable

2)it would have been very simple to offer a choice between
FW and USB cables with an iPod purchase - this was not done,
and as a result there are some pissed off apple customers on
the mac side.

3)think different?? didn't happen here..................
 
Convert, the new iPods don't come with the power bricks (from memory of what I've read). AFAIK they actually DO make USB power bricks too.

From memory, though, USB doesn't route as much power through the bus, so the FireWire would theoretically charge it quicker.
 
It's not like some of us doesn't have an extra FW cable laying around somewhere. Unless FW starts to use something goofy like the miniUSB cable that is seen on cameras.
 
qwikstreet said:
It's not like some of us doesn't have an extra FW cable laying around somewhere. Unless FW starts to use something goofy like the miniUSB cable that is seen on cameras.
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it is kinda goofy, ever notice that long skinny thing on the iPod Dock? that is the Firewire/USB port
ips_accesstop_cables.jpg

And for the rest of you wondering about the USB power adapter
m9837_125.jpg
 
Well, if I'm correct and the _vast majority_ of iPod users are Windows users, Apple's made a good move here. The few Mac users will either use the USB-2 cables or get out and buy a FW cable or something. Users of "older Macs" with only USB 1.1 can decide whether the speed of USB 1.1 is enough (hehe, *cough*) or 19$ aren't _that_ much.
Also think of it as a measure for ease of use: One kind of cable only. Don't confuse the dumb customer. And it's quite surely better to unify on USB-2 than on FW right now.
 
One other consideration...

Most folks out there, who have DV cams are using FireWire. Those cameras don't allow chaining, like some external drives do. If Apple had to pick on blocking off your USB 2.0 port or your FireWire port, which would you choose, if you want to have your iPod connected while you import DV footage? Remember, folks with PowerBooks will only have one FireWire port. The G5 towers only have the front panel easily accessable, depending on where your machine is stored.

Just another thought, to go along with my previous post on the topic. :)
 
From what I've heard, the new iPods are not compatible at all with USB 1.1... can anyone confirm, or am I just remembering some mumbo-jumbo?
 
texanpenguin said:
Convert, the new iPods don't come with the power bricks (from memory of what I've read). AFAIK they actually DO make USB power bricks too.

From memory, though, USB doesn't route as much power through the bus, so the FireWire would theoretically charge it quicker.
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Thanks Texanpenguin :)
 
btw, for the "just grovel and be grateful for the price-drop!" crowd -- did you notice that they also dropped the dock?

dock.jpg


Anyway, I still don't get the 'you can't complain because you have to be grateful for the price drop' attitude...

I do, however, get that Apple is moving on and cutting costs, as I always have -- it just makes me a bit sad. :( ...but also a bit thinking how I just neeeed a new PowerBook :) Probably part of what Apple intends, those heartless, unfaithful bunch of money-mongers producing computers too good to turn down! ;) :)
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
From what I've heard, the new iPods are not compatible at all with USB 1.1... can anyone confirm, or am I just remembering some mumbo-jumbo?
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The same as before. It MAY work, it may sometimes work and sometimes may not work. It is not supported, like on the previous models. Usb 1 is plain too slow for big data transfer.
 
They should do more BTO at the online store. So I could get a b/w 60 GB iPod with a Dock and only FW cabling. Or an iPod photo with a 20 GB drive without ANY cabling since I already have some. Etc. ...
 
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