Hard drive vibration on the new iPod

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Level 1

45 points

Hard drive vibration on the new iPod

I can feel the hard drive working when I am holding my new iPod (5th generation, 60 gig). Is this normal? Is there a problem with the hard drive?

Posted on Oct 29, 2005 10:46 AM

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Answer 1

Will-Hi

Level 5

4,307 points

Oct 29, 2005 10:51 AM in response to Greg Kopp

I can feel it too, so can I feel my external HD when I touch it, etc.

I think this is normal. Can you hear any sound when putting the iPod on a hard surface when you feel the vibration ? If not, then you should be fine.

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Answer 2

Oct 29, 2005 10:52 AM in response to Greg Kopp

Welcome to Discussions. A hard disk is a mechanic device, and it is normal to feel vibrations. The only way not to get this effect is with a Nano, with its flash drive.

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Answer 3

Greg Kopp Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 29, 2005 11:08 AM in response to Greg Kopp

Thanks Guys for the quick replies. My only other experience with iPods is with the mini's ( we have 2 ). The is no noticable vibration ( vibration my not be the best word, maybe "operating" would be better ) with the mini's. Of course a 6 gig hard drive and a 60 gig hard drive are two diferent beasts altogether. I was also concerned that I have to use a 1.1 USB till I get my new 2.0 card installed. Seems to work fine albeit slower and thought maybe that was damaging the HD someway. Also have been changing many of my AAc files to Apple lossless files and wondered about that as well. The iPod does not make any noise when laying on the table surface during operation.

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Answer 4

Will-Hi

Level 5

4,307 points

Oct 29, 2005 11:13 AM in response to Greg Kopp

Then you're fine 🙂

Good luck with your new iPod !

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Answer 5

Oct 29, 2005 11:26 AM in response to Greg Kopp

Greg, the conversion of AAC to lossless is pointless, as you cannot add quality into a file that has already been compressed. To benefit from losless, you will need to take this from the original CD's again. Try adding a track to your iPod in AAC and the same track in losless, and see if you can tell the difference. If you cannot, then it would be wasteful to go for lossless, unless you plan to upgrade your headphones or listen via a top range hi-fi etc. Again try a small sample, and check what sounds best to you.

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Answer 6

Greg Kopp Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 29, 2005 11:46 AM in response to Simon Clayton

I am glad I have you guys to converse with. I cannot get in touch with Apple and the store I got it from is clueless about iPods ( they said I could use a firewire with my new iPod ). Sorry, Simon, I was a little vague about the AAC to Apple lossless conversion. I am reloading the songs again from cd's (what a task with 1.1 USB ) into lossless format. I thought that doing this might create file fragmentation with the file size increases and some files remaining as AAC ( because I purchased them through iTunes ). I could just see that hard drive flying all over the place. The only time I notice the difference in quality is in my home ( component ) stereos. My earphones, car stereo and Bose sound dock sound good with ACC. I am surprised that I can hear the difference at all ( too many front row seats to Led Zeppelin concerts LOL ).

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Answer 7

Will-Hi

Level 5

4,307 points

Oct 29, 2005 12:38 PM in response to Greg Kopp

Also have been changing many of my AAC files to Apple Lossless files and wondered about that as well.

This explains it all. I guess that you didn't have Apple Lossless on your Minis, due to their small hard rives. They probably also had the same vibrations, but with AAC files, the iPod's cache lasts longer so disk access is less frequent, infrequent enough to remain unnoticed. It is also possible that to save energy, iPods using a compressed format access the drive as frequently, but at a lower rpm because the cache does not need to be filled as fast as with Lossless ... thus the vibrations are less noticeable.

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Answer 8

Oct 29, 2005 12:45 PM in response to Greg Kopp

do you mean you can feel it by just holding it in the palm of your hand or do you have to have your face fairly close to the ipod because my photo does tht...

Havent gotten the video 5g yet they're always sold out. AHHH! 😟

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Answer 9

JetRanger

Level 4

1,200 points

Oct 29, 2005 1:04 PM in response to - iDerek -

My HDD sound from my 5G 60 GB is the same as it was with my 4G.

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Answer 10

Greg Kopp Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 29, 2005 1:50 PM in response to JetRanger

Simon - You are dead on about the larger file sizes and the mini's. I started putting wav files on at first and couldn't understand why after so few songs I had no more disc space - then I began to read up on iPods and iTunes ( typical for me, play with first then read instructions later LOL). Again I am glad to have everyones input and this forum. Trying to find someone knowledgeable at the place I bought my iPod from is like trying to find a virgin in the maternity ward. Don't have many friends yet with iPods to turn to for experience. We ( us over 45 ) do not embrace new technology so quickly and with all the issues about batteries and non compatability with other music providers and not being able to choose the download format, has deterred many.

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