How to connect iPhone to G3?

[swimswim]

There is a large community of older Mac users that will not be able to sync an iPhone because it requires a USB 2.0 port. This is an unnecessary shame. Many older Macs (iBooks, PowerBooks, PowerMacs, etc. of both G3 and G4) have Firewire 400 (and USB 1.1) ports, but not USB 2.0 ports. Isn't Firewire 400 as fast as USB 2.0?

How can I connect an iPhone to the following Apple Macs that do not have USB 2.0 ports?


G4 Cube (500Mhz)
G3 iBook (900Mhz)
G3 PowerBook Pismo (500Mhz)
G4 PowerMac Quicksilver (dual 800Mhz)


For the Pismo I can use a PCMCIA adapter card that has USB 2.0. For the Quicksilver, there is a PCI card with USB 2.0.

But neither the Cube nor the iBook have such options.

Two people have said it is impossible to make an adapter cable that goes from firewire to USB 2.0.

Is there a hub that plugs in via firewire and offers USB ports (I know the vice versa exists)?

What about using an Airport? Can an iPhone sync if it is plugged into an Airport?

/////
Rant & Wish:
Bring back the Firewire iPod and introduce a Firewire iPhone!
Make Apple for Apple!
/////

[trevor]

There is a large community of older Mac users that will not be able to sync an iPhone because it requires a USB 2.0 port.

Really? Why? I've never heard that before. Can you give us a reference stating that? I have no reason to believe that a USB 1.1 port can't sync an iPhone, just a LOT slower.

Isn't Firewire 400 as fast as USB 2.0?

Hah! FireWire is much faster than USB 2.0 in the real world.

Two people have said it is impossible to make an adapter cable that goes from firewire to USB 2.0.

I would not say impossible. Very few things of this type are impossible. But it would require a huge engineering effort that is never going to be made. So, I do agree that there are no adapter cables from FireWire to USB 2.0 and it's extremely likely that there never will be.

Is there a hub that plugs in via firewire and offers USB ports (I know the vice versa exists)?

No. And the vice versa does not exist. You may be thinking of hubs that offer both USB and FireWire, but they also must plug in to both USB and FireWire on the computer. There is currently nothing to convert between USB and FireWire in either direction.

What about using an Airport? Can an iPhone sync if it is plugged into an Airport?

No, not right now. That is an interesting thought, though. The Apple TV syncs wirelessly over Airport.

Trevor

[swimswim]

There is a large community of older Mac users that will not be able to sync an iPhone because it requires a USB 2.0 port.

Really? Why? I've never heard that before. Can you give us a reference stating that? I have no reason to believe that a USB 1.1 port can't sync an iPhone, just a LOT slower.

Not only have I tried (:(), but the requirement is stated on the iPhone box and on apple.com (http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html).

I did have success syncing contacts, a few photos, and some music through a USB 1.1 (connected directly to a Quicksilver), but it failed often and could not sync podcasts.

The other computers listed wouldn't even see the iPhone.

And the vice versa does not exist.
Oh, my bad. Thanks for letting me know.

[trevor]

Page 102 of the iPhone User's Guide says,
Charging iPhone
To charge iPhone, only use the Apple Dock Connector to USB cable with an Apple USB Power Adapter or a high-power USB port on another device that is compliant with the USB 2.0 or 1.1 standards, another Apple-branded product or accessory designed to work with iPhone, or a third-party accessory certified to use Apple’s “Works with iPhone” logo.

However, all other USB references in the User's Guide mention a USB 2.0 port. My guess (unverified) is that Apple recommends a USB 2.0 port just because it takes a long time to sync with a USB 1.1 port, and they know it.

Searching the web for references of using USB 1.1 with an iPhone seems to show that it works fine, just slowly.

For example, the following links show people who can sync an iPhone over USB 1.1:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=329276
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/pcperipherals/0,39051168,62025966,00.htm
http://forums.macnn.com/103/ipod-iphone-and-apple-tv/341449/iphone-and-imac-compatibility/
http://www.everythingiphone.com/forum/mac-and-iphone/usb-2-0-help-2276.html

Trevor

[trevor]

Do you just have one iPhone that needs to sync? If so, why don't you just sync it to a single computer, not attempt to sync it to four computers? And in that case, you can buy that USB 2.0 card for the Quicksilver, as you've mentioned, and sync to that.

Trevor

[swimswim]

Searching the web for references of using USB 1.1 with an iPhone seems to show that it works fine, just slowly.

Sometimes it works, sometimes not (even on the same computer). Strange, eh?

Do you just have one iPhone that needs to sync? If so, why don't you just sync it to a single computer, not attempt to sync it to four computers?

I am writing on behalf of a couple people with various setups. Also I would like to sync different things on different computers (contacts from work computer, podcasts from home computer). I am glad the multiple syncing feature is available on the iPhone.

When trying on to connect to the Cube, the 0xE8000025 error appears: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305841. That page states the error is with Windows, but my Cube is running pure OS X. The solution suggests non ASCII characters in the username is the problem, but again that is not the case with the Cube.

[swimswim]

Yay

Safari started acting weird, so I toggled a bit of Onyx (http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs2/english/onyx_tiger.html) action to clean and flush various files and caches.

I also rebooted with a Tiger disc and repaired the startup disk which had a corruption in the "Volume Head" (if I recall correctly). The permissions were repaired too.

I uninstalled Keyword Assistant for iPhoto and turned off the firewall in System Preferences -> Sharing.

I think it was the last step that enabled the Cube to see an iPhone plugged into its USB 1.1 port. Now iTunes acknowledges the iPhone and may let me sync it.

The 0xE8000025 error no longer appears.

/Yay

[laughing bouncer]

Buy a USB2 PCI card for the workstations.

[chung123]

My wife has a PowerMac G4 Sawtooth with a PCI USB 2.0 card, but unfortunately, iTunes will not recognize the iPhone when connected to the add-on card.

[All manners of iPods and digital cameras work fine however via that USB 2.0 card.]

The only solution is to plugin it into the built in USB 1.1 port, which works perfectly, but slower.

I was hoping the firmware update last night was going to fix it this-- and for a while last night,[right after the firmware update] the iPhone *was* able to sync via the USB 2.0 PCI card. Today--no joy.

I've tried changing the slots that the usb card sits in, but no luck.

I do realize, of course, that Apple specifically says Macs with USB 2.0, but if it can sync and iPod--why not the iPhone.

Anyone have success trying a USB 2.0 PCI card?

[swimswim]

Anyone have success trying a USB 2.0 PCI card?

No, I haven't but that was the solution an Apple store employee recommended to me. Please keep us updated.

My iPhone syncs intermittenly through the USB 1.1 port on a G4 Cube. Sometimes it takes a couple plugs in + out.

[chung123]

Success!!!

After recently re-Googling this issue, it looks like installing a Belkin USB 2.0 PCI card on my wife's Sawtooth solved the iPhone sync issue.

The card that we had previously was not fully "compatible."

I bought one from Staples[it is the Belkin USB Card with a NEC chipset on it].

It is working like a champ now.

Of course, it doesn't help that Apple is currently having a separate syncing hanging issue:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1311405&tstart=0