Mini Dock - Can U Say Rip Off?

joey · February 26, 2004 8:48PM

I just got the dock for my Mini... what a freaking rip off. $40 for a little piece of plastic? Does it actually do anything besides just pass the audio to the jack and the data through the cable? I know Apple tend to rip ya off with accessories... but come on now... I was expecting to at least get another power adapter with it... all ya get is the freakin' dock! Ok... that gripe aside... does anyone know if leaving the mini connected to a PC to charge through the USB (yeah... the Mini can charge through USB and Firewire) will shorten it's life at all? Meaning is the drive spinning or anything while it's connected to my PC and seen as a USB Mass storage device. I was hoping the dock would come with either it's own power supply so I can just charge it without connecting to a PC (I keep my other power supply at work). I just don't want to leave it connected to my PC if it's going to harm it vs. charging right from a power supply and not having any data connection.

Thanks for any input (freakin' $40 for a little piece of plastic... arrrrr!!!)

messiahtosh · February 26, 2004 8:53PM

Yeah, that's why it isnt really necessary to buy a Dock unless you think its cool or if you need the audio line out.

torifile · February 26, 2004 9:12PM

Did you file a police report because an Apple rep held a gun to your head and made you buy it? I think you may have a case.

joey · February 26, 2004 9:15PM

Yeah yeah yeah... I ordered it online... and I couldn't find any details (meaning if it did... or if it didn't come with anything else)... I'd have gotten it anyway... but I would have gotten the other stuff as well if I was able to find out whether or not it was included. But... for that price... I do think it should have come with something... Anyway... any ideas regarding my charging question?

messiahtosh · February 26, 2004 9:18PM

Yes, leaving it connected to the computer will spin the disk. Leave it plugged in until it is charged or charge it via the firewire to electrical outlet.

eugene · February 27, 2004 2:54AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Messiahtosh

Yes, leaving it connected to the computer will spin the disk. Leave it plugged in until it is charged or charge it via the firewire to electrical outlet.

My iPod is connected to the computer and the disk isn't spinning.

luca · February 27, 2004 4:17AM

Yeah, when I had an original 5 GB I had to charge via a power outlet because the disk would constantly spin while it was connected to the computer. But my third-gen 10 GB doesn't do that.

joey · February 27, 2004 5:51AM

I know the drives are super quiet now... so I guess it might jut be hard to hear... a little drive activity indicator would be cool. Anyway, I thought I could disable the USB device in the Device Manager (Windows)that way I could just charge it without it actually connecting... but when you disable the device... it also stops charging the Mini. If I do the same thing with Firewire... it continues to charge. So I have the Mini (as a firewire device) disabled so when I dock it it doesn't connect... but it does charge.

My hope was... since the dock didn't come with any extra cables or a power supply that I could use the USB cable that came with it to charge it on my PC (since my PC is always on)... then use the firewire cable to sync it with my iBook when I need to. I haven't tried it... and I probably will when I get home from work... but the details for the dock seem to say that USB 2.0 is for PCs only. Does that mean that you can't sync the Mini via USB on a Mac?

torifile · February 27, 2004 9:26AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joey

Does that mean that you can't sync the Mini via USB on a Mac?

Why would we want to? USB2 is more processor intensive than FW and only marginally, if at all, faster.

joey · February 27, 2004 10:04AM

Well... I only have the one USB cable and the one Firewire cable that came with the Mini. I have to use the firewire to charge it on my PC (because I want to just charge it on there (meaning I don't want it connecting as a drive and spinning up)... so I have the device disabled... that only will work with firewire... if I do it with USB, it won't charge)... So I'm left with the USB cable... I don't really sync often... so I figured instead of having to disconnect the firewire cable from my PC... I could just use the USB cable to sync with my iBook.

It's not really a big deal... was just wonderin if, in fact, you can't sync using USB on a Mac.

ipodandimac · February 27, 2004 11:10AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eugene

My iPod is connected to the computer and the disk isn't spinning.

as long as its ejected it shouldnt spin. when i forget about the pod for an hour or something though, it gets really warm, so i make sure i eject.

jubelum · February 27, 2004 11:23AM

Quote:

Originally posted by torifile

Did you file a police report because an Apple rep held a gun to your head and made you buy it? I think you may have a case.

hassan i sabbah · February 27, 2004 11:59AM

I'm a dock convert.

I come home, lean my bicycle and pop my Pod in the dock on top of my amplifier. The tune I was listening to is suddenly broadcast throughout my house and the Pod's sitting upright, looking sleek, easy to get to, recharging happily.

I thought I'd have no use for a dock at all. I think it's really cool. Not necessary, but cool.

mattjohndrow · March 1, 2004 8:15PM

Quote:

Originally posted by torifile

Did you file a police report because an Apple rep held a gun to your head and made you buy it? I think you may have a case.

hehe

a_greer · March 2, 2004 3:02PM

if ya want a dock, then ya gotta pay the price, and if they werent moving out the door, the price would fall

that is a principal called supply and demand, the most basic principle of economics

and if ya do have a question, they have a phoneline, call and ask b4 u order, after all, that (amoung other things) is why apple pays for 1-800-my-apple, so you dont have to, thats why it is called toll free

Mini Dock - Can U Say Rip Off?

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