I’ve got a 2008 MacPro, and this causes a problem with the charging of the device when connected to sync. The iPad reports ‘not charging’ next to the battery status. Apple document the problem here, which is basically that none of the USB ports on my MacPro provide sufficient power. I can’t easily identify a third-party USB self-powered Hub that would do the job either, so any suggestions greatly received. You need a USB port that provides 1200mA apparently.
What this means is that for the time being, I need to connect the dock to the main adapter so I can leave it to charge, and then just use the USB lead to sync with the Mac, which is hardly convenient or intuitive. According to some notes I’ve seen when Googling for a solution, the iPad will charge via a normal USB port, but only if its in standby/sleep mode, and only if the host computer is not itself sleeping or hibernating.
The dock is starting to look increasingly redundant anyway. I’m more likely to leave the iPad in the Apple Case which I purchased at the same time. It’s nigh on impossible to remove the iPad from the case, certainly too difficult for day-to-day docking, and you can’t dock the iPad when its in the case.
And the biggest downside to not being able to use the dock is that I can’t easily prop the iPad up to a useful angle for use on the desk.
Still, the battery life was itself impressive, I certainly got 8+ hours out of it yesterday, although some of that time in the dock and connected to USB, which annecdotally appears to provide enough power to not drain the battery.
