Do I have to get a new computer to get an iPhone?

July 8, 2008 8:23 PM

Is there some kind of adapter I can get that will let me plug a USB 2.0 item into a Firewire slot on a Mac Powerbook G4?

I have a Powerbook G4 with a Firewire 400 plug-hole and only a USB 1.0 plug-hole, and I want to get a new iPhone. The new iPhone requires USB 2.0.

Is there something I can get that will turn my Firewire 400 into a USB 2.0, or at least let me plug one thing into another? I don't care if the speed is degraded just a bit. (I understand that USB 2.0 goes to 480, where my Firewire only goes to 400.)

Or could I somehow take out the USB 1.0 innards and replace them with a USB 2.0 card? Would that be crazy expensive?

There's so much life left in this PB, and I've got plenty of RAM and an upgraded hard drive. I don't want to get a whole new computer just to get an iPhone.

On the other hand, I really want an iPhone ...

posted by mccxxiii to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Google is surprisingly easy to use.
posted by b1tr0t at 8:35 PM on July 8

alternatively, you could get a usb 2.0 cardbus card to fill your (likely) unused type II cardbus slot. maybe not this specific one, but something like it.
posted by the painkiller at 8:41 PM on July 8

Get the 30 dollar card. The usb firewire "cable" is a little converter in the shape of a cable that costs 90 dollars and might have compatibility problems.

The card also has multiple connectors and can handle a hub if needed.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:50 PM on July 8

Has anyone actually tried to plug an iPhone into a USB 1.1 port to see what happens? All USB 2.0 compliant devices are supposed to be downward compatible with USB 1.1. Operation would be slower but it should work. For example, any 2.0 thumb drive will absolutely work with 1.1. You might try this out before cobbling up some Firewire interface.
posted by JackFlash at 8:58 PM on July 8

I looked into this sort of thing maybe a year ago, and from what I found you'd be hard pressed to find a reliable USB to firewire solution. The two protocols are nothing alike so you'll need a standalone piece of hardware to act as a translator. Since this is not a common problem, there's not much out there, and being a mac user you'll have less options and limited compatibility. The cardbus adapter seems like your best bet in this regard.

Also, almost all USB 2 devices are backward compatible with a USB 1 port, they're just stuck with an order of magnitude slower transfer rate. If you plan on transferring lots of data, such as an mp3 collection, it'll take a while but it'll work. No clue about whether an iPhone will do this or not, perhaps you could find a friend with one or a brick and mortar store that will let you hook it up to your laptop before you buy.

That's my 2 cents anyway, good luck!
posted by waxboy at 9:09 PM on July 8

the USB CardBus card is the best bet. also, use the power adapter it comes with. USB 2 provides more power than 1.1 does too, so you'll want to be plugged in if you're planning on charging the phone while it's plugged in. (the phone comes with a power adapter though, so you may opt to just use that.) the phone should work on a 1.1-style port but there may be odd compatibility issues if you go that route. (plus, 1.1 is really really slow compared to 2.0. hours versus minutes to sync.)
posted by mrg at 9:13 PM on July 8

All USB 2.0 compliant devices are supposed to be downward compatible with USB 1.1.

In terms of communications, yes. In terms of power, not necessarily. USB is not just a communications medium, it's also a power connection. USB 2 supports current draw of up to 1.5 amps for battery rechargin. USB 1.1 is limited to 500 mA, and the host has the option of limiting it to 100 mA, which most laptop 1.1 interfaces do.

A lot of USB 2 devices plugged into 1.1 interfaces will handshake, discover that they can't draw as much power as they need, and shut down.
posted by Class Goat at 9:14 PM on July 8

USB 2 provides more power than 1.1 does

USB 2 supports current draw of up to 1.5 amps for battery rechargin.

Sorry, that is just not correct. USB ports provide a maximum of 500 mA if they are self-powered, as would be a port directly out of a PC. Bus powered USB ports provide only 100 mA. The maximum you can get out of any USB port, 1.1 or 2.0 is 500 mA. Power-wise they are exactly the same. There are some devices that will plug into two USB ports to get 1000 mA, but that's not what we are talking about here. Powering an iPhone with a 1.1 port is not a problem. It should work with a 1.1 port if data rate is not an issue.
posted by JackFlash at 9:27 PM on July 8

Battery Charging Specification 1.0: Released in March 2007.
Adds support for dedicated chargers (power supplies with USB connectors), host chargers (USB hosts that can act as chargers) and the No Dead Battery provision which allows devices to temporarily draw 100 mA current after they have been attached. If a USB device is connected to dedicated charger or host charger, maximum current drawn by the device may be as high as 1.5 A. (Note that this document is not distributed with USB 2.0 specification package.)
posted by Class Goat at 11:40 PM on July 8

That's referring to an optional part of USB 2.0 that's barely over a year old.
posted by zsazsa at 12:23 AM on July 9

There are no existing PCs that have high power battery chargers. They don't even have a name or logo for designating the new ports and there are no drivers available to support them. A port that is designated as USB 2.0 is limited to 500 mA, same as always and same as USB 1.1.
posted by JackFlash at 1:16 AM on July 9

I was in the exact same spot a year ago. I went ahead and bought an iPhone, and yes, it will work with USB 1.1 (mine's a white iBook, the 14" model).

However, data transfer is painfully slow. And sometime iTunes has a problem connecting to the phone (I would have to wait until just the right moment when launching iTunes, and then put the phone in the dock).

And sometimes, synching would time-out.

I had no problems at all charging the phone.

So, it works, just not very well.
posted by valkane at 1:45 PM on July 9