[macintologist]

http://www.pixela-1.com/capycable.htm

I found that online, if I got a 4-pin to 6-pin adapter, would that thing let me hook up an iPod video to my Powerbook's firewire port? I only have USB 1.1 and dont' want to transfer files that slowly.

[Randman]

Don't think so. You could try getting an external hard drive with USB and Firewire and keeping your iTunes collection on that.

[chabig]

It sounds like it'll work. But I've never seen anything like that before. And they don't list the price, do they?

Chris

[kafoochy]

Do you have a 15" or 17" Powerbook? If so you could also get a CardBus USB2 adaptor which would add two high speed USB2 ports to your computer in addition to the USB 1.1 you already have. There are plenty out there. Look for ones that don't require an external power adaptor.

[tooki]

No, it certainly wouldn't work. This device takes a FW camera and converts it to USB, probably by use of wonky drivers (not actually creating a standard FW bus, as far as the computer is concerned). USB is one-way: that's why the plugs on each end of the cable are different. You could not use this, even if drivers weren't an issue.

tooki

[tooki]

Note also that it is labeled specifically as a "DV transfer cable", NOT a FireWire/USB converter in general. That should mean that it's just taking the DV video stream and putting that onto USB. It's extremely unlikely that it's a general-purpose solution, and again, it's in the wrong direction for you.

tooki

P.S. Moved to peripherals, since this isn't a question about PowerBooks...

[mduell]

Originally Posted by tooki

No, it certainly wouldn't work. This device takes a FW camera and converts it to USB, probably by use of wonky drivers (not actually creating a standard FW bus, as far as the computer is concerned). USB is one-way: that's why the plugs on each end of the cable are different. You could not use this, even if drivers weren't an issue.

I don't know what you mean when you say "USB is one way." You can certainly transfer data both ways on the cable (iPod to PowerBook or PowerBook to iPod). If you're refering to the host-device logical configuration, that can be swapped using the USB OTG suppliment.

But I agree, this sounds like a specialized hack just for transfering DV and I can't see it working with an iPod or any other generic device.

[lavar78]

The PC card suggestion is the best route.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by mduell

I don't know what you mean when you say "USB is one way." You can certainly transfer data both ways on the cable (iPod to PowerBook or PowerBook to iPod). If you're refering to the host-device logical configuration, that can be swapped using the USB OTG suppliment.

I know quite well that USB allows data to flow in both directions. Duh. I was, indeed, referring to the host-device requirement. I know about the supplement, but it's not something I've actually ever seen implemented. Either way, the device there isn't wired for that (look at the plugs), and even assuming it were a general-purpose device (which we both agree is unlikely), it'd require some kind of crazy drivers to work as such. Who wants to take bets on them not having Mac drivers?


tooki

[chabig]

I think it's entirely possible to build a device that doesn't require drivers. Firewire devices don't require dedicated drivers and neither do USB devices. Whether it works or not would depend solely upon how much of the firewire and USB standards are implemented inside the converter.

Chris

[mduell]

Originally Posted by tooki

I know quite well that USB allows data to flow in both directions. Duh. I was, indeed, referring to the host-device requirement. I know about the supplement, but it's not something I've actually ever seen implemented. Either way, the device there isn't wired for that (look at the plugs), and even assuming it were a general-purpose device (which we both agree is unlikely), it'd require some kind of crazy drivers to work as such. Who wants to take bets on them not having Mac drivers?

The host-device nature of USB wouldn't prevent something like this from working. The "device end" of USB could be connected to a "peer end" of FW with a bridge chip between the two.
If they spent enough money/effort do to the work in hardware, this cable could (in my mind) work with the generic HCI drivers included with the OS. I still haven't decided which HCI driver (USB or FW), but it could conceivably work.

Perhaps I'm giving this company too much credit. Something inside me still says this thing is a funky hack that will only work for connecting some FW cameras to USB ports, and not a generic FW device to a USB port much less a generic USB device to a FW port. But it would be interesting if someone bought one and tried it.

Reminds me of IBMs Universal Adapter (courtesy of vowe.net):

[tooki]

Originally Posted by chabig

I think it's entirely possible to build a device that doesn't require drivers. Firewire devices don't require dedicated drivers and neither do USB devices. Whether it works or not would depend solely upon how much of the firewire and USB standards are implemented inside the converter.

Nope, false. FireWire and USB do require drivers. But they had the smarts to come up with a few standard ones so that you don't have to create special drivers for each separate device, and the OSes now come with the standard drivers by default.

And USB and FireWire don't use the same driver standards. For example, DV streaming is a standard that happens to use FireWire, and is not expected on USB.

tooki

[tooki]

Originally Posted by mduell

1) The host-device nature of USB wouldn't prevent something like this from working. The "device end" of USB could be connected to a "peer end" of FW with a bridge chip between the two.
2) If they spent enough money/effort do to the work in hardware, this cable could (in my mind) work with the generic HCI drivers included with the OS. I still haven't decided which HCI driver (USB or FW), but it could conceivably work.

3) Perhaps I'm giving this company too much credit. Something inside me still says this thing is a funky hack that will only work for connecting some FW cameras to USB ports, and not a generic FW device to a USB port much less a generic USB device to a FW port. But it would be interesting if someone bought one and tried it.

4) Reminds me of IBMs Universal Adapter (courtesy of vowe.net):

1) No, it's not that the "host-device nature" that prevents it from being done AT ALL, it's that THIS DEVICE is clearly designed to allow a FireWire device to plug into a USB computer, because the "host-device nature" makes going both ways (that is, allowing USB->FW AND FW->USB) an ugly kludge. What the OP wants is to take FW on one end and create a USB host on the other. This device is FW (for ONE specific driver) on one end and a USB device on the other.

2) USB and FireWire don't use the same drivers.

3) "Something"? Maybe the fact that it's not sold as a USB to FW bus converter, but specifically as a DV to USB converter?

4) Broken image. Probably a server that doesn't allow offsite linking.

tooki

[vasu]

so no one makes a usb2 --> firewire converter?

I know a couple people getting new iPods but they have USB1 computers that don't have pci or cardbus slots (ibooks and imacs), so the transfer rate will be ridiculously slow ... no options eh?

-vasu

[tooki]

This device is a special-purpose USB 2->FW converter. But what you are asking about (for iPod use) is a general-purpose FW->USB 2 converter, and no, I am not aware of any such device, and I don't expect we'll see them.

tooki

[SSharon]

http://sendstation.com/us/products/p...ock/combo.html

I have their firewire model and a retractable firewire cable. It's easier for me to take this along than the apple usb cable and I use the cable with my isight as well when on the road.

[kafoochy]

SSharon, your solution would work only to charge the new iPod "video". The latest iPods (both nano and video) DO NOT support firewire for data. Yes it will work with your mini for data and charging but will only work for charging with the new video no matter what adapter you get. The original post was asking for a way to plug in to a high-speed bus (either Firewire using a converter or USB2) for putting data onto the new iPod video.

However the sendstation device is useful for traveling and charging the ipod video. I just don't think that is what macintologist was looking for.

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by kafoochy

SSharon, your solution would work only to charge the new iPod "video". The latest iPods (both nano and video) DO NOT support firewire for data. Yes it will work with your mini for data and charging but will only work for charging with the new video no matter what adapter you get. The original post was asking for a way to plug in to a high-speed bus (either Firewire using a converter or USB2) for putting data onto the new iPod video.

However the sendstation device is useful for traveling and charging the ipod video. I just don't think that is what macintologist was looking for.

100% right. I should have added those points since I know that the newest gen. ipod only supports charging via firewire. If there was an easy way to convert firewire <-> usb I'm sure we would all know about it by now.

[itguy05]

Originally Posted by vasu

so no one makes a usb2 --> firewire converter?

I know a couple people getting new iPods but they have USB1 computers that don't have pci or cardbus slots (ibooks and imacs), so the transfer rate will be ridiculously slow ... no options eh?

The wife got the new iPod and has a g3/800 ibook. No doubt it's slow over USB 1, but you can do the initial sync overnight and after that, as long as you're not syncing that often it's bearable. Or you can just charge/sync overnight.

That being said, I'm still PISSED AT APPLE for dropping FW from the iPods.