User profile for user: L_yndon
L_yndon Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

my 60GB ipod is actually 55.6GB?!?

when i look at my ipod on itunes it says it is 55.6GB and when i looked at it under my computer > properties it also says that the ipod is 55.6GB

my ipod is an undamaged 60GB video (white) and has had this maximum 55.6GB maxx capacity ever sinse i got it (bought it new from apple store)

why isnt my 60 GB ipod ACTUALLY 60GB? where did the other 4.4GB go? its impossible that the drivers and software on the ipod take up that much space and if they did the ipod would still display as 60GB when diagnosed.

why is this ipod advertised as a 60GB ipod if its actually 55.6GB? shouldent they call it the 55.6GB ipod? this seems allmost like a schamm to me. i have friends with nanos,30GB videos and none of them are at tehir actual capacities ie. 30GB is actually about 27.3GB and a 2GB nano is about 1.8GB (not sure about exact values for nanos and 30GB)

my warrenty is allmost up. should i return my ipod because it is flawed and not actually the size it is said to be? or is this just some marketing scham where all ipod (60GB) videos are actually 55.6GB?

don't get me wrong, i love my ipod and think its the greatest thing ever and would not give it up for the world, but i am currious as to why my ipod isnt actually 60GB.

60GB fifth generation ipod video Windows XP perfect condition

Posted on May 25, 2006 4:07 PM

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13 replies
User profile for user: L_yndon
L_yndon Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 25, 2006 4:45 PM in response to L_yndon

Also see this link: http://support.apple.com/specs/ipod/iPodwith_video_30_60GB.html ) and the actual formatted capacity is less than what is stated on the label " 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less. "

but i guess an addition to my question is "WHY is it soo much less? also, shouldent this formatting loss be the same for both 60 and 30gig ipods?

why is only 92.7% of the hardrive actually useable?

i dont htink ipod should refer to this ipod as a 60GB ipod inless 60GB is actually usable or partially used by software from apple. and they should'nt call it a 60GB ipod if they know this ammount ot be incorrect. Is there a way to better use this formatting space by reformatting the software to allow me to actually use 60GB?

on a further note. Western Digital (one of the leading companies in hardrive production) advertises many hardrives to be more than their actual capacity. for example, i own a 120Gb 7200rpm WD hardrive and its actual usage is 92.5% (so ipod is slightly better :D) but their website makes it much clearer that the actual capacity is less. and it is noted on most of their packaging (to my knowledge) that their hardrives have a data loss due to formatting.

Why is apple being so sneaky about this space loss to formatting? me and many people i know are completly unaware when we bought our ipods (or asked for them as gifts) that they were unaware of this formatting loss. this seems completly unfair to the consumer and they should be warend about this aswell as the ipod battery issue.

As for the calculation in size, woulden't it remove confustion by using 1GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes instead of the lesser correct form of 1,000,000,000 bytes. using the 1 billion byte formula seems a bit of an unfair way to calculate this and when advertising the Ipod it should advertise the size stated when you go to menu > settings > about... whis states that the capacity is 55.6GB ?

is anyone else annoyed about this issue? or does anyone know a way to increase disk usage of your ipod so you can use more of the theoretical 60GB? mine is getting quite full and i dont want to reduce the quality of anything stored on my ipod.

thank you for your time. Lyndon.

ps. i have nothign against ipod or apple (i love it an am planning to replace my old PC with a Mac) im just saying this because it seems unfair. i still would have bought my ipod if it were 55.6GB but i would like to have known of this before hand.
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User profile for user: UNIVSOUTHFLA
UNIVSOUTHFLA
User level: Level 1
130 points

May 25, 2006 6:04 PM in response to L_yndon

Ok, analogy time!

Lets say you have a Mac. It is advertised to have a 60GB hardrive. You log in for the first time and see that the HD is actaully 57GB. Hmmm! Well, in order to be able to use the OS on your Mac, you need disk SPACE. Think about it, when you install your OS, your not only downloading the OS, but all the Apps like Safari, iTunes, iDVD, etc. It all takes room, just like if you download a poker site of the internet! your iPod is the same way
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User profile for user: Chris CA
Chris CA
User level: Level 10
82,513 points

May 25, 2006 6:43 PM in response to Nascar_FAN_48

Wow No OFffense but stupid Question! it is a 60GB Hard Drive and it's Software takes up 4.4 GB's ........Ron
Wow, No offense but no, the iPod OS is only ~ 28 Megabytes, definitely NOT 4.4 GB.

1 Kilobyte = 1024 Bytes, not 1000 bytes.
1 Megabyte = 1024 Kilobytes, not 1000 Kilobytes.
1 Gigabyte = 1024 Megabytes, not 1000 Megabytes.

1024 bytes * 1024 Kilobytes * 1024 Megabytes * 55.6 = 59,700,045,414.4.
Pretty darn close to 60 billion (Gigabytes), isn’t it?

You’d have to be exact as the iPod only reports 55.6 but it is closer to 55.8 total minus what the iPod OS takes up.
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User profile for user: Frank Jenks1
Frank Jenks1
User level: Level 1
40 points

May 26, 2006 1:44 AM in response to L_yndon

Hi, in response to the topic.
Everyone's observations are correct. The usable space remaining after formatting ANY hard drive is ambiguously less than the advertised capacity. I'll let the nerds and geeks explain exactly why (and I'm sure they will) but it is Universally accepted that you lose approx 8% to the formatting gods. This applies to all HDDs and OSs as far as I know. I don't think it's a conspiracy, it's a well known and accepted (with a grain of salt) fact by most everyone who has a LOT of computer experience or has ever built or modified any computer. I think it stinks also, but it is the reality of it.
Now that you know... the healing can begin.
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User profile for user: Rich Fleming
Rich Fleming
User level: Level 6
13,426 points

May 26, 2006 4:10 AM in response to UNIVSOUTHFLA

Ok, analogy time!
Ok, correction time!

I understand you are just trying to help here... but you're posting incredibly misleading (and incorrect) information.
The correct annswer to the 60GB vs 55.6GB discrepancy has been given multiple times in this thread. It has virtually nothing to do with any software installed on the iPod or space taken up by programs, OS, etc.
The difference is caused by the way hard drive manufacturers measure disk capacity, and how they are reported by the operating system.

According to Apple, 1GB is defined 1 billion bytes. This is printed on the box that your iPod came in.
60GB = 60,000,000,000 bytes.
Since a true binary gigabyte is actually 1,073,741,824 bytes... that means your operating system will report the capacity of the iPod to be about 55.8GB
60,000,000,000 / 1,073,741,824 = 55.8GB
Since there is 'some' space used up by the iPod OS, software and extras... you are left with 55.6GB for your content.
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User profile for user: Rich Fleming
Rich Fleming
User level: Level 6
13,426 points

May 26, 2006 4:13 AM in response to Nascar_FAN_48

Wow No OFffense but stupid Question! it is a 60GB Hard Drive and it's Software takes up 4.4 GB's
I know Chris already responded to this... but I just wanted to add that you're being unnecessarily rude as well as being completely wrong.

It's in the Terms of Use for these forums to be polite to people. I suggest you start doing that before you are banned from posting.
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User profile for user: michaelmcparis
michaelmcparis
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 26, 2006 4:16 AM in response to L_yndon

Hi ! This is totally normal ! Any "hard disk" (which is what the iPod is) has to leave room for its formatting and programs to make it function. If you buy an external hard disk for example that is 100 Go, you will only really have around 93 Go of space to put your files on.

Your 60 Go ipod really does have a hard disk of 60 Go but once the formatting is done and the iPod program is copied to it, you only have around 55 Go left.. This is not false advertising on the part of Apple or from any other hard disk manufacturer for that matter.
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my 60GB ipod is actually 55.6GB?!?

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