iPod Video info
OK, so the new iPod is incredible. I don’t know exactly why they dropped firewire support entirely, but the USB 2 seems to be working fine. One important thing to note that I have not read anywhere else: the new iPod is power rated from 5 - 30 volts. The old iPod from 8 - 30 volts, which is why the new one be charges from USB, which outputs only 5Vs, and the old one could not. Old docks, cables, and firewire-based charging plugs STILL WORK JUST FINE. I have a 3G firewire dock set up in my bedroom plugged into the wall with the firewire power supply, and audio connected to a stereo. It works just fine with the new iPod which is charged when it sits in there (even though the body is a little small for the opening in the old dock), it is stable and secure. I have charged it this way for two nights in a row and everything seems just fine. Be vary careful though, I have not heard this officially from Apple at all. Theoretically, my original firewire Altoids battery pack also will work fine (I am scared to test it), but I am working on a USB version which should be working soon.
Chris,
My guess is that by losing the firewire capability, the engineers could also lose the firewire card out of the guts of the 5G iPod. That may have been one of the sacrifices made to make the unit smaller. How’s the performance? I worry that a USB interface with be annoyingly slow after firewire…