Some iPod power tips from Apple Support

I've found the Apple Support documents to be more and more of a useful resource these days, as Apple's Knowledgebase sometimes posts solutions to problems I didn't even know I had yet. (Go figure that one out.) With all the new iPods fluttering around, I thought it might be handy to post links to a couple of interesting support articles to help clarify some issues both new and old:

1) iPod: About Sleep, Deep Sleep, Hibernation, and Sleep Timer. This explains the differences and advantages between sleep and hibernation states, as well as which iPods support what. There's some neat stuff in here about the iPod's power management I never realized, and I've owned one of every iPod since the first 5 GB.

2) iPod does not work when plugged into a keyboard. I'm sure this one might be obvious to some, but I'm meeting more and more computer users who don't understand why some iPods or external hard drives don't work when plugged into their keyboard. Some devices require more power than those ports can supply, so I'll echo what this short document instructs: it's probably a good idea to plug power-hungry devices like hard drives, iPods, scanners and printers directly into your computer, a powered USB/FireWire hub or ports on a powered display like Apple's Cinema Displays, rather than an unpowered peripheral like a keyboard. This should keep everything running smoothly, and will allow your iPod to get the juice it needs.