| iPod compatibility on the original iPod was designed for | | | | iPods could still be made to boot a Macintosh by |
| use with Macintosh computers running Mac OS 9 or | | | | reformatting their hard disks with HFS Plus.The |
| Mac OS X but Apple began selling a | | | | iPodLinux project has successfully ported an ARM |
| Windows-compatible iPod too on July 17, 2002. Apple | | | | (Advanced RISC Machine) version of the Linux kernel |
| released a Windows version of iTunes on October 16, | | | | to run on iPods. It currently supports first through third |
| 2003; previously, Windows users needed third-party | | | | generation iPods, and features simple installers for Mac |
| software such as Musicmatch Jukebox (included with | | | | OS X and Windows. The Linux interface is known as |
| Windows iPods before the release of the Windows | | | | "Podzilla".The interface will run on all iPods, however |
| version of iTunes), ephPod, or XPlay to manage the | | | | the development team does not support its usage. |
| music on their iPods.iPods originally shipped formatted | | | | The iPod uses standard USB and FireWire |
| with Apple's native filesystem, HFS Plus (Hierarchical | | | | mass-storage connectivity, and therefore any system |
| File System) and consequently would only work with | | | | with mass-storage support can mount it and use it as |
| Apple's Mac OS because Windows does not support | | | | an external hard drive. The iPod will also charge from |
| HFS Plus. An iPod formatted with HFS Plus is able to | | | | any powered USB or Firewire port, regardless of |
| serve as a boot disk for a Macintosh computer, | | | | software support.Here is a link in reference to this |
| allowing one to have a usable, portable operating | | | | article iPod CompatibilityDaniel Dwase is the |
| system installed on their iPod.With the advent of the | | | | webmaster and editor of a website that provides |
| windows-compatible iPod, Apple switched iPod's | | | | reviews and buyers guide of iPod Video, Nano, Shuffle |
| default file system to FAT32 because FAT32 is the | | | | and cheap iPod accessories and a blog that provides |
| only file system that can be used natively with both | | | | the latest news from Apple Computers about iPods. |
| Mac OS and Windows. Fourth-generation and earlier | | | | |