iPod Dock Connector - The iPod Dock Connector is the interface used by most iPods to connect to computers and sync data back and forth.
The Dock Connector is a small slot on the bottom of the iPod into which the included iPod cable fits. It is also the interface used by many iPod peripherals, such as docks, car kits, portable speakers, etc.
The Dock Connector was created, in part, to simplify the iPod. Early versions of the iPod, which were only Mac-compatible, used Firewire interfaces. When Windows-compatible iPods were introduced, they had USB interfaces, with Firewire used for battery charging.
When Apple introduced the Dock Connector, it was able to reduce the number of ports on the bottom of the iPod to one and reduce the complexity and potential confusion of using the iPod. The first iPods that used the Dock Connector had both Firewire and USB cables. Later iPods only used USB.
Used in iPods
iPhone
Third-generation iPods and up
iPod Mini
iPod nano
Not Used On
iPod Shuffle
