How can I connect via FW

Go ahead and try to find a USB 2.0 upgrade card but it is most likely that is won't work, if you check all the threads in this discussion and other message boards you will find many people that had problems syncing with upgrade cards be they for Laptops or Desktops. The only way to get apple to hear the demands of the public is to post a lot of complaints here and to their feedback page.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html

Eventually, if there are enough complaints Apple might see the short sighted idea of eliminating the FW controller chip just to help shrink the ipod; they might even just bring it back in the next ipod, the 6G ipod. If I was the head of Apple I would have offer the Apple engineering team a extra bonus to their pay if they could make the FW controller chip smaller. Steve Jobs could at-least told everyone at the Apple conference that the new ipod had no FW Syncing support instead of having many Loyal Apple users finding out after they have opened the box.

I hope this has helped.

Although I'm tempted to just get a PCI USB2 card and give it a go, the financial loss is just too big if it doesn't work.
You own a Mac and an iPod and the $20 for the Firewire/USB2 PCI card is too much money for you?

I too bought the g5 expecting to be able to use a firewire connection.
Why didn't you read the requirements on the box or the specifications?

I am a College student, the iMac and the ipod are both over three years old, so that is a pretty good reason why I can not afford to buy a new machine and a new ipod when I have to buy books, pay loans and rent.

I'm stuck using the slower USB also, but I don't mind not having firewire. I did at first, but I got used to it in a day. A song takes like, a minute. Just learn to be patient and live with it. OR, if you are updating for the first time or updating multiple albums, leave it uploading over night. OR, while you are waiting for the slow update, do SOMETHING ELSE on your computer. Updating the iPod does NOT prevent you from doing other things on your computer. I know no one said that, but that is the impression I am getting from all the complaining. It's not like you are forced to just sit there and wait while it uploads.

I can't imagine a scenario where you absolute need a few dozen songs in your ipod in a minute. I mean, yeah, it IS convinient, but its just a luxary. Atleast you are able to get the songs in the blasted thing in the first place.

Sorry for the rant, but yeah. You can live without it. With patience and/or the ability to multitask.

Oh, and everyone has all the time in the world to wait around for things to transfer to an iPod. Call me crazy, but I prefer making sure my downloads go through okay BEFORE I pack my iPod into my equivalent of a briefcase. I'd rather not come in and see that my downloads didn't go through right when I'm on my way out the door to work, thanks. I don't have a lot of time in the morning. I don't have a lot of time, period.

A workday for some of us goes like this: 45 minutes of getting ready for work, 45 minutes to get there, 12 hours of being there, 45 minutes home, then just enough time to grab a new song/book or two before off to bed. I do a lot of my downloading on my day off. When I'm not, oh, spending time with a family that hardly gets to see me on my work days.

I make decent $ at this job, but TIME isn't something I have a lot of. Saving a few minutes is nothing to someone with a cushy 40 hour work week. The difference between 140 songs downloading in 1 minute versus thirty minutes is the difference between sleeping 7 hours, or 7.5 for someone like me.

I have enhanced DSL to get files off the Internet more quickly, but I'm supposed to accept the equivalent of a 28K modem for a device to get things off my computer (an older iMac, but it's perfect for my needs--email & internet & a bit of word processing) that I acquire from that DSL connection? Hello? Explain the logic.

So I've filed my complaint with Apple through the feedback, and I'm taking back this video iPod. Now I'm in the market for the old photo iPods that are still out there. I don't need video that dang badly. Hate TV anyway, but thought it might be fun to have a few music vids or home movies. But I don't NEED those so much, as it turns out. I'll make do with the stuff that actually WORKS for my needs. I still let Apple know that they've lost me for future sales, as long as they don't have FW iPods.

The answer to the origenal question is obvious and allready given. It's not possible to connect via FireWire.
And I must say, it was very disapointing indeed to open the Ipod G5 box! No poweradaptor and only a USB connector. At first I thought I could buy it seperately, like de poweradaptor at the Aplestore. I kind of wook up the hard way.
The iPod I had before was a G3 wich was only slidely thicker with the FireWire controller build inside. The package was more complete also. Two cables. One USB and one FireWire. Plus a poweradaptor included.
And talking about thick and thin; the iPod G2 was a thick machine.... Nothing wrong with the thickness of the G3! What's wrong with the G5 is the lack of FireWire. Anyone denying that does'nt understand the meaning of quick and stabil connectivity. From FireWire 400 to USB2.0 (I don't have) is a step backwards.

If anyone wants a real world example of this, try copying two large files at once via firewire and via USB. THEN compare how long it takes to copy one file after the other. For firewire, you'll get about the same time because it's transferring as fast as your hardware can handle. For USB, it'll always be a shorter time to copy one file then the next file than it is to copy both files at once due to this USB limitation.

I didn't know it was so severe until I tried it myself a few days ago. Quite dramatic.

I don't see how seeing your family is stopping you from updating your iPod. Just drag the songs into the ipod before you leave, and go. It'll upload while you do your thing. Either that, or upload them while you sleep. They should be ready when you wake up. I can't see why they wouldn't, and I can't imagine what would be wrong with your iPod or iTunes to prevent the downloading from completing. If there IS something wrong, in which you have to actually witness the entire transfer, then I can understand your POV.

Also, 140 songs a week is insane. Either you're spending $140 a week on iTunes (Or more on CD's) or just making it obvious how much you pirate music (and 140 songs would take up ALOT of time). Or you are just unnessecarily exxagerating.

And you having DSL doesn't mean anything. I have cable. Don't see me complaining though.

but I'm supposed to accept the equivalent of a 28K modem for a device to get things off my computer (an older iMac, but it's perfect for my needs--email & internet & a bit of word processing)
Obviously, your computer is NOT perfect for you. It does not have USB 2.

I do a lot of my downloading on my day off. When I'm not, oh, spending time with a family that hardly gets to see me on my work days.
As has been suggested, plug it in to download and leave it alone. That should take like a whole 2 minutes.
Check on it later (another 2 whole minutes).
You don't have to sit there and watch it for it to work.
That's not taking any time from your family.

I work 12 hour days.
I work sometimes 6 days a week.

Yet, I found time to download all 500+ songs onto my iPod I just got, download about 15 video podcast, rip and download 2 episodes of "Home movies".

What I didn't find time to do was whine and cry about how Apple single handedly ruined my life by not including something in one of their products.

having just been given a new ipod video (ding dang doo) - did a quick load of a few tracks and trailers just to have a play, Wonderfull, plan to take to work and load my full collection, so left (slower) usb cable at home (for my wife, with older G3 ipod) in favour of my dock at work...

Doh - plugged in and got a very pleasent error message!!!

It seems the real reason for apple to only have USB2 is that most PC boxes have had USB 2 for a while, but NO FIREWIRE, fro apples point of view, USB2 = easier compatibility = less parts = lower prices to the user.

All my music will have to wait until tomorrow (much to my wife's amusement!!!)

t seems the real reason for apple to only have USB2 is that most PC boxes have had USB 2 for a while, but NO FIREWIRE

No one but Apple knows the "real reason" for omitting the firewire controller. It probably was not a single reason, but rather the combination of several contributing factors.

I really wish this topic would be locked already. This issue has been discussed to death and everyone is starting to repeat themselves.

This will never die if there are people willing to complain to Apple what they think they did wrong. Beside did you leave this thread why comback? An check computer stores some time many DV Cameras have firewire, they may be 4-pin Firewire but still is a firewire. And many external drive cases have firewire and usb 2.0. DELL, HP and Compaq Desktop PCs have Firewire on them it is called IEEE-1394 (FireWire). Try doing some research before posting your reponces. If you do not like this thread then leave it alone.

Try doing some research before posting your reponces.

What?
Did I post incorrect information somewhere in this thread?