# Am I doing something to break these iPods?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883 "2006-07-01T19:59:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883/21 "2006-07-04T16:54:23Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Grendel’s Father]  
A friend of mine had the same problem with his iPod. I think he went through 2 of them. At the time, he was using an older PC laptop with USB 1 ports. Apparently the slower speed of USB 1 (rather than USB 2) spells doom for iPod hard drives, or so the tech guy at the Apple store told him. Using USB 2 now and no more problems. Something to check on, at least.

I use FireWire for mine just to be safe, and I’ve had it for almost 2 years now with no problems.  
[/QUOTE]

Just theorizing here, some laptops do not deliver the 500mA the USB standard requires to their USB ports as a power saving technique. Might be that when you first start using it, it manages, but as connectors get a little scuffed up…no more connection.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883/22 "2006-07-04T17:30:36Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Grendel’s Father]  
\ Apparently the slower speed of USB 1 (rather than USB 2) spells doom for iPod hard drives, or so the tech guy at the Apple store told him. Using USB 2 now and no more problems. Something to check on, at least.

[/QUOTE]

The slower transfer speed requires that the iPod be in use longer, causing the hard drive to become very hot, and possibly overheat.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883/23 "2006-07-04T19:36:02Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Cleophus]  
The slower transfer speed requires that the iPod be in use longer, causing the hard drive to become very hot, and possibly overheat.  
[/QUOTE]

Hunh. That sounds at least plausible. Did the iPods stop functioning after particularly long updates?

Given the user name of the OP (percussion) – are you a drummer, by chance? I could see an iPod giving up the ghost if it were in your pocket during a particularly vigourous drum solo.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883/24 "2006-07-04T20:00:32Z")

</div>

Shaking and vibration are the enemies of the standard iPod’s hard drive. The iPod nano has no moving parts, which is why my brother recommends it.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-doing-something-to-break-these-ipods/362883.md?page=1)