iPod Compatibility

By Daniel Dwase...

iPod compatibility on the original iPod was designed for use with Macintosh computers running Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X but Apple began selling a Windows-compatible iPod too on July 17, 2002.

Apple released a Windows version of iTunes on October 16, 2003; previously, Windows users needed third-party software such as Musicmatch Jukebox (included with Windows iPods before the release of the Windows version of iTunes), ephPod, or XPlay to manage the music on their iPods.

iPods originally shipped formatted with Apple's native filesystem, HFS Plus (Hierarchical File System) and consequently would only work with Apple's Mac OS because Windows does not support HFS Plus.

An iPod formatted with HFS Plus is able to serve as a boot disk for a Macintosh computer, allowing one to have a usable, portable operating system installed on their iPod.

With the advent of the windows-compatible iPod, Apple switched iPod's default file system to FAT32 because FAT32 is the only file system that can be used natively with both Mac OS and Windows.

Fourth-generation and earlier iPods could still be made to boot a Macintosh by reformatting their hard disks with HFS Plus.

The iPodLinux project has successfully ported an ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) version of the Linux kernel to run on iPods.

It currently supports first through third generation iPods, and features simple installers for Mac OS X and Windows. The Linux interface is known as "Podzilla".

The interface will run on all iPods, however the development team does not support its usage.

The iPod uses standard USB and FireWire mass-storage connectivity, and therefore any system with mass-storage support can mount it and use it as an external hard drive.

The iPod will also charge from any powered USB or Firewire port, regardless of software support.

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