<p>Hello, I was so excited to get my iPod mini in the mail, but I just can't seem to connect it. I need to connect the usb 2.0 cord from my iPod mini to a usb port on my computer (it is a dell desktop). Where are these ports normally located??? I really have no technology knowledge so I would really appreciate your help!!!</p>
<p>Thanks so much,
Jaimie
(please excuse the double post, I'm desperate!)</p>
<p>I think there are usually 4: two in the front near the bottom, around where the plug is for headphones and things. They can be had to see, so you might have to tip the computer back a little, but they should be there. There are usually some on the back, too, like where you'd plug in a mouse and keyboard and stuff. I think it's color coded. USB ports are really thin rectangular holes...basically look for the slots that will fit the connector.</p>
<p>Maybe your computer doesn't have a USB port. Some older computers don't. What version of windows are you running on?</p>
<p>There may be some USB ports on the front of your computer, but there will surely be some on the back. It'll be a narrow rectangular slot and may have a little symbol thing next to it that's a line with an arrow on the end and two kinda squiggly lines coming off of it. It's easy to try to plug things in backwards to them, so just flip the plug if you can't get it in. My computer's USB ports are upside down. :D</p>
<p>the icon krazykow described is at the top =).</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, I think I found two and they are both used so I will get one of those things that you can plug in to get 4 usb ports and see if that works. Should they be on the monitor or the box where like the cd trays are? And I have windows xp kinglin, but the computer itself is probably 5 or so years old. Thanks again!</p>
<p>If it is 5 years old, you will not have a USB 2.0 port. You will have a USB 1.0 port. My mother just got her IPOD mini last night and had to be connected to my dad's desktop because his is newer than mine. You might have to get an external USB 2.0 hub port at your local computer store (they are not that expensive at all...maybe 20.00).</p>
<p>having an extenral usb2 hub won't help you if you have no internal usb2 ports. the hub simply replicates existing ports...</p>
<p>if you don't have a usb2 port, you'll need to get an internal usb2 card. very simple to install actually, just place it in a free pci slot. :)</p>
<p>Isn't the only difference the speed? If that's the case, I imagine it would still work, though slowly.</p>
<p>yeah, it's just speed. 12Mbits/s on usb1 (~1.5 megabytes/sec) vs 480Mbits/s on usb2 (~60 megabytes/sec). however, these are peak speeds. usually, you only get to about 1/2 of that for sustained data transfer...</p>
<p>USB 1.1 still works. My dad used it to transfer. You've just got to let it sit overnight.</p>
<p>Probably should get a card if there's that much of a speed difference. They are easy to put in... the hardest part on some computers is getting the case open. :)</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the responses. How can you tell if you have a usb 2.0, 1.1, or 1.0 hub? There are 2 empty usb ports on my keyboard that fit the usb 2.0 cord that came with my iPod mini. I'm not using them because the user guide of the iPod says that they won't give enough power, but does the fact that the cord fits mean that they are a 2.0?</p>
<p>well, the port themselves are identical [physically] between usb2 and 1.1. that way, you can plug older devices into new computers. if you go to your computer manufacturer's website and enter your model number, you should be able to find your user manual. it should tell you in there under usb what type you have (ie 'this computer is equipped with 4 usb 2.0 ports for high speed data transfer' or something along those lines).</p>
<p>even if the port doesnt give power, it should be fine as long as you have sufficient charge on your ipod. what you won't be able to do, however, is charge the ipod using the dock. a powered port would let you charge by just dropping it in.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware Tab > Device Manager > Click on the 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' option. This will tell you what version of USB you have on your computer.</p>
<p>Well, if you hook up your mini and try to transfer music, if it seems to take a REALLY long time, you don't have 2.0. It takes me less than an hour to transfer 4 gigs to a zen micro, so if it takes you over an hour to transfer to your mini, you don't have 2.0.</p>
<p>Thanks again, on another note (sorry to keep bombarding you guys with questions :) ), how can I use my iPod mini in England and France. I'll be there for a month so I'll need to charge it and such, but the plugs are different and I won't have a computer in my room...?</p>
<p>go to radio shack or similar (best buy, circuit city) and get the correct power adaptor. your ipod should have come with a cable and brick that plugs into the wall to charge up...just plug this into the adaptor and the adaptor into the wall.</p>
<p>don't worry about getting a voltage convertor, since the apple power bricks (at least the one in my ipod) is capable of 110-240volt.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>The iPod mini only came with the usb cord, not this "brick" you speak of...?</p>
<p>the brick looks like this: <a href="http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9837LL/A%5B/url%5D">http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9837LL/A</a> . i have an old 2nd generation ipod and it came with the adaptor...surprised yours didn't. :-/</p>
