I have an original, 5 GB iPod that I have directly plugged into my TiBook running 10.2.8 (and 10.2.6 before with the same problems). It is plugged in via an Apple thin Firewire cord.
Over the past two weeks or so I have noticed that my iPod is hesitant to mount, either on the Desktop or in iTunes. The iPod screen, however, shows that it is connected to the computer, displaying the "Do not disconnect" message. I must unplug the iPod from the FW cord and replug it in to get it to be recognized by the computer. It then usually is recognized, at least by the Finder. Sometimes, when I launch iTunes while it has been mounted, however, iTunes will enter into a "spinning beachball" mode and will freeze. I will then force quit iTunes, but very often iTunes has set off a chain of events that launches all apps on the machine to "spinning beachball" mode. I must then hard restart the entire machine.
This is becoming a huge problem for me and I have a feeling that it is the iPod itself and not the FW port on the machine or a software issue on the PowerBook. Other FW hard drives mount perfectly--I am not using a FW hub. I have factory reset the iPod several times using the v.1.3 Updater, but still no dice.
Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated.