iPod Why USB Now?

[Resist]

If the iPod used to connect to computers via Firewire, why do they now USB?

 

[gyorpb]

Because FireWire is scarce on PC's, and Apple want to sell iPods not just to Mac users. And because USB is much cheaper to implement.

 

[rgarjr]

USB is extremely popular than 1394.

 

[Resist]

I guess I was just wonder because I came across the first iPod release video where Steve Jobs talked about how much faster Firewire was over USB. And to me it made more sense to use Firewire for video and music transfers.

 

[MattA]

When Steve Jobs released the first iPod, USB at the time was v1.1. The maximum speed of USB 1.1 was 12 Mb/s. Firewire does 400Mb/s. With USB 2.0 reaching speeds of up to 480Mb/s, Firewire wasn't quite as necessary.

 

[Darth.Titan]

Bear in mind at the time he was talking about USB 1.1 which was still prevalent on PCs at the time. While USB 2.0 was technically available when the iPod was released, it wasn't commonplace yet.

When USB 2.0 became more standard, Apple switched to it for the Mac+PC iPod. iPods could do USB or Firewire at that point, but Firewire was eventually dropped as a cost-saving measure.

 

[BlizzardBolt]

USBs are much more common. Especially since it is 3.0 now,speed is no longer an issue. Firewire is being phased out for thunderbolt for macs.