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Help: iPad won't sync with my iBook G4

G

gkrykewy

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 20, 2004
36
0
Background:

When I brought my shiny new iPad home on Saturday, I plugged it into my iBook's USB port and was disappointed (but not shocked) to get a popup in iTunes 9.1 telling me that I couldn't sync the iPad since it required OSX 10.5.8 (I had 10.4.11 installed). In order to get my hands into the iPad, I decided to register/sync it on my work PC (a 10 minute bike ride away).

No problems; been using my iPad fine ever since. However, I'd still like to be able to sync it at home, so that I can add some media content to it.

So last night I installed 10.5 and also updated my iBook to 10.5.8 (along with all other system updates available through "system update").

Problem:

Even with 10.5.8 installed, the iPad will still not sync on my home iBook. When I plug it in, the iPad beeps but indicates that it isn't charging, and the iBook loads iPhoto and attempts to sync the iPad as a camera (I have a handful of wallpapers I DLed on the iPad).

Things I have tried:
  • verified that there are no iTunes updates available
  • turned off "automatically open iPhoto when camera is connected" in the iPhoto general preferences
  • manual restart of iPad (holding power and home buttons for a couple of seconds)
  • Re-authorized the iBook for my iTunes account.
  • Using my other USB port.

So the issue is that even though my computer/iTunes recognized that I'd connected an iPad when I first tried it out of the box (under 10.4.11 and iTunes 9.1), now that I've updated to 10.5.8, I can't get iTunes to recognize that the iPad has been connected at all.

I also don't understand the lack of charging; apparently the iPad thinks I don't have a USB 2.0 port (even though when I bought the iBook G4, it claimed to have USB 2.0 -- and according to the specs, it should: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP81).

Thoughts would be appreciated.
 
I also have an iBook. I am nearly certain the ibooks cannot run 10.5.8. I know they do not support Leopard. Check it out and/or call APPLE.
 
Back again. I checked the Apple support page. I remember reading that Leopard is not supported on the iBook because they are not intel chips. I am surprised you were able to load. Beware of a crash! Someone with more knowledge may rescue you. Good Luck!
 
MajorTCS said:
Back again. I checked the Apple support page. I remember reading that Leopard is not supported on the iBook because they are not intel chips. I am surprised you were able to load. Beware of a crash! Someone with more knowledge may rescue you. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Leopard can be installed on a PPC - G4::

Processor must be any Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 (867 MHz and faster)
 
Did you reboot the computer? I know you said you rebooted the iPad. But try a reboot of both. Your laptop may not charge the iPad when the iPad is in use though, because of the power requirements for the iPad. See this support document.


Also when you do sync it for the first time with the iPad it will ask you to authorize the account on it since you already synced up with the other computer. At least I had to with mine since I had to upgrade my laptop to 10.5 as well so I did the set up on a mac mini.
 
MajorTCS said:
Back again. I checked the Apple support page. I remember reading that Leopard is not supported on the iBook because they are not intel chips. I am surprised you were able to load. Beware of a crash! Someone with more knowledge may rescue you. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

ct2k7 said:
Leopard can be installed on a PPC - G4::

Processor must be any Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 (867 MHz and faster)
Click to expand...

Yes, Leopard (10.5) is fine on PPC chips. SNOW Leopard (10.6) cannot be installed on anything but an Intel chip. :)
 
bytethese said:
Yes, Leopard (10.5) is fine on PPC chips. SNOW Leopard (10.6) cannot be installed on anything but an Intel chip. :)
Click to expand...

Very confused by now. I have a PowerBook G4, I'll install Leopard. Can I use it to synch my new 3g Ipad? The salesman at the Apple store told me I could. I'm not sure after reading this.
 
Capt T said:
Did you reboot the computer? I know you said you rebooted the iPad. But try a reboot of both. Your laptop may not charge the iPad when the iPad is in use though, because of the power requirements for the iPad. See this support document.

Also when you do sync it for the first time with the iPad it will ask you to authorize the account on it since you already synced up with the other computer. At least I had to with mine since I had to upgrade my laptop to 10.5 as well so I did the set up on a mac mini.
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for that support doc; that at least clarifies the power issue. I did a variety of restarts of the iBook during the install/update process, but maybe not after resetting the iPad; I'll try that tonight.

Here's a related question for you: is there any way I can sync (assuming I can get the devices to "talk" properly) without having to delete and re-download all of the app content on my iPad?

For the other guy: yes, I can't install 10.6.x, but I can install 10.5.8, and it's fully supported.
 
Robin4 said:
Very confused by now. I have a PowerBook G4, I'll install Leopard. Can I use it to synch my new 3g Ipad? The salesman at the Apple store told me I could. I'm not sure after reading this.
Click to expand...

If you have Leopard or better with a USB 2.0 port, it will work. :)
Check out the Mac Requirements:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Only thing I could think of is taking it to a Genius after you have all the proper Leopard updates on the machine.
 
I didn't think an iBook G4 had a 2.0 port, only a 1.1 port. My wife's (now my mom's) old 12" PowerBook G4 only has 1.1 ports.
 
MajorTCS said:
I also have an iBook. I am nearly certain the ibooks cannot run 10.5.8. I know they do not support Leopard. Check it out and/or call APPLE.
Click to expand...

Excuse me? My iBook is running Leopard, as is my iMac G4. Why couldn't they. He's talking about 10.5, Leopard. Not 10.6 SNOW Leopard. ;) That's not his problem.

The problem is, and I've experienced it, the iBook itself does not supply the power on its own to charge such a device through the USB ports. Mine doesn't like my SimpleTech external. The iBook must be plugged in itself (charging) to not only drive power to those ports, but kick it up a notch from the Power Saving Settings to also charge the iPad connected to it.

Hope it works.
 
I've got an iBook running 10.5.8 and iTunes 9.1 and everything is working okay. Maybe since you already synced it to that other PC it doesn't want to sync to the iBook? I would say maybe a hard reset and you'll have to reinstall all apps from the iBook.
 
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