I have a Dell Inspiron 2650, which came standard with 2 stunningly slow USB1.1 ports and an insufficient 20gb hdd. Now, I've been adding to my old iPod through this slow as fuck USB1.1 and it wasn't too bad, because it's been in installments. However, now that I find myself with a new and empty iPod, the thought of filling it with 37 or so gigs of music, in blocks of 5 or 6 gigs, isn't very appealing.
To that end, I'm looking to "upgrade" my laptop with a PCMCIA card that adds USB2.0/Firewire ports to my system. Also, I'd like to get a USB2./Firewire compatible external HDD, of at least 60 GB, 80 or 100 if I can swing it, financially. I'm asking for help. I'd like to know if this is even possible, on my laptop. See, I don't know if I should have power concerns... the new Ipods charge through the USB, and obviously the hdd would be powered through the USB also... Can I plug in a HDD to the USB side, and the iPod through the Firewire side (which also allows charging, iirc) without exploding my laptop? Can you even CONNECT two external units, like this, and transfer data from one (the external hdd) to the other (the iPod)? Obviously, I'm planning on using the external drive as a media library from which I could easily restore my iPod to full capacity in record time, and without constantly copying music from my backup CDs to my internal hdd... which takes forever also. (It's that and the USB1.1 which is killing me. I'm trying to kill 2 birds with one stone.)
Please recommend me a card or two, and a hdd or two, assuming what I propose above is even possible. Thanks in advance.
To that end, I'm looking to "upgrade" my laptop with a PCMCIA card that adds USB2.0/Firewire ports to my system. Also, I'd like to get a USB2./Firewire compatible external HDD, of at least 60 GB, 80 or 100 if I can swing it, financially. I'm asking for help. I'd like to know if this is even possible, on my laptop. See, I don't know if I should have power concerns... the new Ipods charge through the USB, and obviously the hdd would be powered through the USB also... Can I plug in a HDD to the USB side, and the iPod through the Firewire side (which also allows charging, iirc) without exploding my laptop? Can you even CONNECT two external units, like this, and transfer data from one (the external hdd) to the other (the iPod)? Obviously, I'm planning on using the external drive as a media library from which I could easily restore my iPod to full capacity in record time, and without constantly copying music from my backup CDs to my internal hdd... which takes forever also. (It's that and the USB1.1 which is killing me. I'm trying to kill 2 birds with one stone.)
Please recommend me a card or two, and a hdd or two, assuming what I propose above is even possible. Thanks in advance.
Paying attention helps. Just noticed the IDE interface. Lovely. Hee.