Get 10% Off A New iPod, From Dell

by , 4:00 PM EST, December 4th, 2002

We reported in October that Dell and Apple had reached an agreement to sell iPods. The company is offering only the Windows units, in all 3 sizes, 5 GB, 10 GB, and 20 GB. According to our DealsOnTheWeb.com site, Dell is currently offering a 10% discount on iPod units, again in all three sizes. The promotion is part of a general sale at Dell's Web site for the holidays.

With the discount, Dell has the iPods priced as follows:

iPod for Windows comes formatted as a Fat32 drive, which is incompatible with the Mac. As pointed out by DealsOnTheWeb, Apple provides instructions on reformatting a Windows formatted iPod to work on your Mac in its iPod FAQ. From those instructions:

Question 8: I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
Answer: No, iPod is specially configured for either Mac or PC. iPod for Mac comes in the HFS Plus file format which is optimized for performance and usability in Mac OS X and 9. iPod for Windows comes in the FAT32 file format which is optimized for performance and usability in Windows ME, 2000, and XP.

If you purchased an iPod for Windows, you can easily reformat it to work on your Mac by downloading the iPod for Mac Software Updater on the Apple Web site. Note that once it is reformatted, it will only work with Macs. You need Mac OS 9.2 or Mac OS X 10.1 or later to reformat an iPod for Windows into an iPod for Mac.

You cannot reformat an iPod for Mac to work with Windows.

Using the iPod for Mac on a PC, or using the iPod for Windows on a Mac, is not supported by Apple.

Question 9: Can I use my existing iPod for Mac on a PC, or my iPod for Windows on a Mac?
Answer: You can reformat your iPod for Windows into an iPod for Mac, but it is not possible to reconfigure your iPod for Mac to an iPod for Windows. This is because Windows does not support the HFS+ file system and therefore will not see the drive.

You can convert your iPod for Windows into an iPod for Mac by using the iPod for Mac Software Updater on the Apple Web site. Note that once it is reformatted, it will only work with Macs. You need Mac OS 9.2 or Mac OS X version 10.1 or later to reformat an iPod for Windows into an iPod for Mac.

Using the iPod for Mac on a PC, or using the iPod for Windows on a Mac, is not supported by Apple.

You can find more information on Dell's Web site. To find the deal, click on that link, click on the "Accessories" link on the left-hand side of that page, then click on "Audio," and then click on "MP3 Players." Direct links to the MP3 players are tied to a session and a cookie, or we would provide a direct link.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Some people may not like the idea of shopping at Dell's Web site, but 10% a new iPod is a very aggressive price. We said when it was announced that the Dell deal offered huge potential to Apple's bottom line, as it greatly expanded Apple's marketing of the iPod to a segment where the company has little reach, the Windows using world. With millions of lemmings keen on buying their PCs from the Dell Dude's company, it's a match that works for everyone except for those smaller retailers who can't compete on volume.

Dell's iPod Offer