File Transfer Speeds to Nano VERY SLOW...

[intellect]

First and foremost, I'd like to thank anyone / everyone involved in this project. Even for a n00b like me, it was quite easy to get my iPod Nano set-up w/ Rockbox...

Is anyone else encountering the same issue I have with the transfer speeds TO the actual iPod Nano? I notice that when I copy a file of almost any size, it seems to take FOREVER (almost is if I was back to using a USB 1.1 port / speeds, if not worse.)

FYI, I'm using a Black 4GB iPod Nano w/ the latest "Apple" Firmware installed, as well as the most recent version (build) of Rockbox (which I just downloaded and installed today.)

Thanks

[Llorean]

Yeah, this has been discussed quite a bit. The Apple Disk Mode on the Nano is quite slow. If you need to transfer several files, instead of letting Rockbox boot it into the hardware disk mode, you should manually reboot it into the Apple Firmware for decent transfer speeds. It's a bug of some sort in the hardware disk mode.

[intellect]

sweet, good to know I wasn't going nuts... and thanks for the advice, I'll definitely try that from here-on out!

[mightybrick]

One more thing... I've noticed that when transfering files in Disk Mode on a Windows 2000 system, I have fast transfers, but on my home PC with Windows XP I have slower transfer speeds.  I don't know what that could mean, but I thought it might be good to know.

[Llorean]

Yeah, we've had reports of decent transfers in Linux. (Though I think some people have reported slow ones as well.) It seems to either be variable by player (Some nanos are fast in emergency disk mode, some aren't), In-Flash firmware version, or computer.

[IrYoKu]

I measured transfer times:

A 94MB directory:
- Windows+Original firmware: 29s
- Windows+Disk mode: 74s
- Linux+Disk mode: 47s

[RadioactiveMan]

So why not starting Apple firmware by default instead of disc-mode when plugging in the usb-cable. woueld there be any disadvantage?

[Llorean]

1) Takes much longer to boot than disk mode
2) Requires the Apple firmware to be present (currently you can actually work around and install Rockbox without the official Apple firmware installed)

[RadioactiveMan]

1) When transferring music you will save much more time than you loose with starting the Apple firmware

2) It could be made optional. Either by an option or by checking if the original firmware is present. if not, then the disk-mode is started.

[Llorean]

1) Reboot into Apple manually. Seriously. Eventually Rockbox hopes to have its own USB mode, and right now Rockbox is for developers, who plug in often, but don't transfer a lot of files, so the faster reboot is more noticeable than the long transfer time.

In the end, it's a matter of "Why should a developer waste time on this, when there are much more important things to be fixed, and picking which USB mode to use is an option that probably won't even matter by the time Rockbox is ready to release for iPod?" It's a user-only option that, if everything goes as well as it could, won't be necessary. And if it doesn't, it can be added in later when more important things are done.

Of course someone could make a patch out here for an option, and people could use that for the time being. And it may even get included after the feature freeze if someone did that.

[happyjihad]

manually reboot it into the Apple Firmware for decent transfer speeds

How would I go about in doing this?  Sorry, I'm still new to rockbox.

[mightybrick]

manually reboot it into the Apple Firmware for decent transfer speeds

How would I go about in doing this?  Sorry, I'm still new to rockbox.

When booting, hold the menu button and the apple firmware will be booted instead of Rockbox.

[travishayes89]

I think ive figured out why the hardware disk mode is so slow. It was probably intended only to be used to restore the ipod, not to be used to transfer music. That is only my theory though, cause seeing as you get some high transfer rates out-of-the-box on it in the apple os for transferring your collection to the device (which is why it tells you a USB 2.0 port is recommended).

[krypticmind]

I get pretty decent transfer speeds when doing single files with the new iPod updates from 28.06, its multiple files that is slow.
Visit http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/ to get it.