Think Secret reveals iPod nano doesn’t support firewire song transfer
Think Secret have produced photos of the new iPod nano. Significant among them is one showing the following message:
Firewire connections are not supported. To transfer songs, connect the USB cable provided
Click here for the image: No Firewire Message
Read ThinkSecret’s article here Think Secret iPod nano photo gallery
Is it possible that Apple will remove all Firewire support before long?
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It was on Apple’s iPod Nano page all along:
http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/specs.html
I’m surprised more has not been made of it. Apple users have tended to be a bit outspoken on the demise of FireWire in the past. Are they getting mellow nowadays?
I’ve been ranting and raving about this everywhere (TUAW, drunkenblog, macworld forums) but most people just ignore it or say they don’t care and I should just buy a new powerbook with USB 2…
Given how late apple came to the USB 2 game, I think it’s a seriously lousy decision to drop firewire support already. My rev.A 12” powerbook is still a superb machine… just no USB, which means no iPod nano for me!
But i’m still curious if the functionality was totally removed from the iPod, or just disabled. I mean, it can charge over firewire.
It’s most likely the chipset used doesn’t support FireWire and Apple’s engineers didn’t want to add extra circuitry (probably because of space issues).
Apple originally had misgivings about USB 2 when Intel pushed it onto the market (low wattage for external devices was one area) but the market thumbed its nose at FireWire so the trend has been for more and more USB 2 support at the expense of FireWire in Apple products (dropping the FireWire cable, the Shuffle, and now this).
FireWire is still best for external drives, DV transfer, and prosumer gear. I don’t think Apple will abandon it.
FireWire is still best for external drives, DV transfer, and prosumer gear. I don’t think Apple will abandon it.
Apple CAN’T abandon it, for no other reason than video editing. An FCP machine without firewire is practically useless.
There is, unfortunately, nothing to stop them from phasing it out of their own periferal products. I think most people probably use USB with their iPods anyway.
My personal experience is FW400 is faster than USB 2 (which is rated at 480mbps). I’ve heard others say the same.
Yeah, I don’t see this as a demise of firewire, just that with the ipod nano they only had room for one, as well as there potentially being some cost issues, so they stuck with the one that has the greatest compatibility across platforms.
I also have an older 12” powerbook with no USB2.0. Stupid USB 2.0, well I guess I will have to wait till the new Intel chips are in the Powerbooks before I purchase a new one. Oh well, hopefully I will have a Video iPod then also…muhahahahha