How to Power Your iPod and iPhone

All iPods and iPhones require power in order to work. Fortunately, each iPod and iPhone model also comes with a battery and a way of charging it (powering it), either directly from your computer or by using a cable and an AC power adapter that works with voltages in North America and many parts of Europe and Asia. Keep the following points in mind:

• Current models (iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPod shuffle, and iPhone) — as well as the older iPod mini and third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation iPods — offer a dock connection. You can connect these models to a dock that offers USB 2.0 connections for power and synchronizing (or FireWire for third-generation models). Docks for full-size iPods can also connect to your home stereo through a line-out connection.

• The dock adapter cable has a USB connector on one end and a flat dock connector on the other end to connect to a dock or to an iPod or iPhone. You can connect the USB end to either the Apple (or third-party USB) power supply or the computer’s USB 2.0 port.

• The connection on the bottom of the iPod or iPhone is the same as the connection on the back of the iPod or iPhone dock. To connect your iPod or iPhone to your computer, plug the flat connector of the cable into the device or dock, and then plug the USB connector on the other end into the USB port on your computer.

• Most PCs already have USB 2.0, which is all you need to provide power and synchronize an iPod or iPhone with your PC. Although you can use a low-powered USB 1.0 or 1.1 connection, it doesn’t supply power to most iPod or iPhone models.