iPod Mini Autopsy

tritone writes "Some fearless soul has disassembled his iPod mini and provided pictures and commentary about the process. This really does seem to be an autopsy since he managed to kill it in the process. That's $249 well spent in the pursuit of knowledge. See the full report at www.ipodlounge.com."

Well...

[baldass_newbie]

Is the battery at least covered under warranty?

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

$250???!???!! Do you know how many lap dances he could have bought with that? At full price, 10 lap dances, but generally strippers will give you a discount for quantity. Hell, he could've got more than a lap dance with that kind of money.

And the fact that there is a site called "ipodlounge.com".. It's a fucking music player!!! What is there to get all excited about? A whole fucking web site devoted to iPod masturbation? You people are fucking obsessed.

The truth of it all [slashdot.org]

Re:Well...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Well at least you can recharge the battery on the ipod and get another few hours of enjoyment out of it. Unlike the lapdance.

Re:Well...

[gringo_john]

The battery is covered by the usual on year warranty only. Apple provides an extended warranty which extends the warranty to 2 years.

When the battery dies under warranty, the usual process is that you send your dead iPod in it's whole to Apple and they send you a refurbished unit.

Having said that, there are how-to [techtv.com] documents that show how to open the iPod and swap the battery yourself, saving a bit of money.

I guess all the bad press [jameshoyer.com] that Apple has received over the lifespan issues of the iPod battery has really pushed them to provide the extended warranty and an avenue to have them replace the battery on a pay per battery type deal.

Re:Well...

[cabingirl]

The battery is probably not covered by warranty or extended warranty [apple.com] if the iPod has been opened, because they would likely call that an unauthorized repair.

Apple does offer a battery replacement service if your iPod is out of warranty, but I don't know if the same restrictions would apply.

Re:Well...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

No, the battery is covered by the plastic housing of the case. Well, at least until you take the case apart.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

HAH, Thanks for the slashing guys... my server is barely coping ;) I'm going to have Apache recompiled to allow MORE connections. See if that helps... I doubt it ;) And yes, the site runs on a 1st generation iPod. ;) We had problems using the 3G iPod... Linux didn't like the touch wheel.

Dennis Lloyd
Publisher/owner
iPodlounge.com

Re:Well...

[Lars T.]

So what does to slashdot mean in Australia? Writing yellow Morse Code in the snow?

Not quite an autopsy

[Stephen Samuel]

I think that the phrase "Fatal biopsy" would be more accurate -- It started out 'live', but didn't survive the investigation.

RIP (Rest In Pieces)

Re:Not quite an autopsy

[darc]

From the article:

This is where I messed up and killed my iPod mini, I forgot to check and I pushed with all my might, ripping the ribbon cable off of the male connector. Oops.

That has got to be the most painful sounding innuendo ever.

Re:Well...

[ePhil_One]

The issue wasn't that the battery wasn't covered under warranty, I think everyone accepts that batteries, even rechargables, are consumable items, just like the brakes and motor oil in your car. The issue was that Apple wanted hundreds of dollars to replace the battery, making it cost effective to simply buy a new iPod when the battery died.

Eep!

[PatrickThomson]

No comments at all and already slashdotted... What's the webserver running on, an iPod?

Re:Eep!

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Nah, probably a Newton 120.

Server is already slow - here's the text

[ghettoboy22]

Photo server is still up at http://gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/thumbnails.php? album=6 [ipodlounge.com] Taking apart the iPod mini

February 23, 2004 By Greg Koenig

Apple has crammed a lot of stuff into the anodized aluminum enclosure of the new iPod mini, and taking it apart is no easy task. I'm an industrial designer with lots of experience pulling back the curtain and meeting the wizard in PDAs, Mp3 players, stereos, watches and all sorts of other gear. I am usually pretty good at it, having not broken something in years (lots of bug hunts for tiny parts on the floor though). Except my brand-new iPod mini, where I screwed up big time... twice!

The Procedure:

Tools needed: (1) Wiha 1.5mm flat head screwdriver (1) Wiha Philips #000 screwdriver (1) Needle nose pliers or medical (Kelly type) hemostats (1) Hair dryer

To help illustrate my disassembly adventure, view the iPod mini autopsy photos and follow along.

To begin with, make sure the 'Hold' button is locked into the ON position (showing orange) to prevent the internal components to be turning on while you are taking it apart.

The plastic top and bottom plates are glued into place with a tacky adhesive that will soften considerably when heated so use the hair dryer on a low setting to heat up the top plate. Work the area until it's very warm to the touch. Now turn the mini around so you're looking at the Apple logo and squeeze the two rounded edges together at the top, causing the enclosure to bow a little bit in the middle. Insert the flat bladed screwdriver between the plastic and the metal (in line directly above the Apple logo) and gently pry the plate straight up. Work around the edges, leaving the area around the 'Hold' button till last. When you finally do get to the 'Hold' button area, pry carefully and pull the plate STRAIGHT up. Behind the 'Hold' button are two plastic standoffs (sort of like tabs) that extend down into the case and push the real switch on and off. If you pry the thing out at an angle, you will break one of these standoffs. That was mistake #1 for me. The actual 'Hold' switch soldiered onto the main board broke, so the 'Hold' switch no longer works.

Now perform the same procedure on the plastic bottom plate. When it is removed, you will see a shiny sheet-metal plate held in place under spring tension by 4 tabs inserted into reliefs machined into the enclosure. At the end of each of these tabs, you will see a round hole. Use the Philips #000 in these holes and carefully pry each tab out of its slot. The sheet-metal plate will come right out.

Next, you need to disconnect a ribbon cable that connects the scroll/click wheel assembly to the main baord. This ribbon cable is on the bottom of the mini on the left hand side. It is orange. You can't miss it. Use the 1.5mm blade screwdriver to pry it apart. If there isn't enough slack in the ribbon cable, don't worry, as long as you get the connector loose, you have done your job here.

Turn the mini over, looking back into the top, you will see two tiny philips head screws on either side of another metal plate. Remove these with the #000 screwdriver carefully and put them in a safe place (don't drop these on the floor, you will never see them again).

Now comes the fun part - gently push on the 30 pin connector at the bottom of the mini and all of the main components (on an assembly I call the component sled) will slide right out the top. It is a bit tight, but if you meet major resistance, back off and INSURE you have the ribbon cable disconnected. This is where I messed up and killed my iPod mini, I forgot to check and I pushed with all my might, ripping the ribbon cable off of the male connector. Oops.

The component sled contains nearly all of the iPod's internals; the main circuit board, battery, LCD display and hard drive. While the LCD is held onto the ma inboard with 4 plastic tabs, the battery and HD ar

Re:Server is already slow - here's the text

[Profe55or Booty]

Photo server is still up at http://gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/thumbnails.php? album=6

no... no it's not...

Re:Server is already slow - here's the text

[kiza]

> Photo server is still up at http://gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/thumbnails.php? album=6

Yeah, we took care of that.

Re:Server is already slow - here's the text

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

>Tools needed: (1) Wiha 1.5mm flat head screwdriver (1) Wiha Philips #000 screwdriver (1) Needle nose pliers or medical (Kelly type) hemostats (1) Hair dryer

Given the outcome, this list is obviously not necessary and sufficient.

Nifty business idea though.

Re:"Post Anonymously" Button

[doc_traig]

Dear Mr. Calling-Out-the-Karma-Whore,

It is traditional to not check the "Post Anonymously" box when calling out a karma whore and thus being "modded up" as Insightful, Funny, or, the jackpot, Underrated.

Best,
Traig

More like murder

[cerskine]

In an autopsy, the doctor doesn't kill anything. So it was more like a murder, then. Think before you type.

Re:More like murder

[dnahelix]

Actually, dissecting something while still alive is called a vivisection [reference.com].
But, yeah, you can call that murder.

Re:More like murder

[divide overflow]

>Actually, dissecting something while still alive is called a vivisection [reference.com].
>But, yeah, you can call that murder.

Actually, murder is intentional. I'm sure the accused didn't intend to end the life of his iPod. Therefore I think this would qualify as negligent homicide or involuntary manslaughter.

Re:More like murder

[Golias]

The sad thing is, for killing an iPod, it was a wasted opportunity. Everybody already knew that they contained a battery, 32 MB of RAM, and a small HD.

If you are going to kill an iPod just to show how '1337 you are, please do something useful: Reverse engineer the iPod Docking Connector!

I really want to know what all the pin-outs are on that thing. For example, I'm convinced that some of them double the functions of the remote-control interface on the top of the iPod, but I don't want to send current through random pins on the base of my preciousssssss just to figure it out. A lot of us would like to build our own iPod accessories, but need the data from such an experiment to do it. (Apple will not tell you jack if you are not Belkin Technology, Inc. I'm far from the only one who has asked and been shot down.)

Re:More like murder

[shamino0]

If you are going to kill an iPod just to show how '1337 you are...

According to the article, he was figuring out the take-apart procedure in order to begin offering a re-coloring service for those iPod mini owners that don't like Apple's choice of colors.

Obviously, if you're going to fuse new colors into anodized aluminum, you don't want to do it with any electronic or plastic parts still attached.

Re:More like murder

[Phroggy]

From http://developer.apple.com/hardware/ipod/ [apple.com] (extra dot added for spamproofing):

iPod Accessory Developers
Interested in developing a accessory for the new iPod and need more information on the connectors and technical specifications? If so please send an email to ipoddev@apple..com [mailto].

You've done that? What did they say?

Re:More like murder

[Golias]

Basically, if you are not a major developer interested in pursuing a partnership-like relationship with them, they don't intend to tell you squat.

And yes, that is the exact e-mail address I sent to.

Re:More like murder

[EvilTwinSkippy]

This is apple. It's an iTopsy.

Get Riker to do the narration...

[Anonymous Coward]

...and you've got the next boffo fox special!

Duh

[savagedome]

This really does seem to be an autopsy since he managed to kill it in the process

/.ers know that real men use 'kill -9' to do this.

Re:Duh

[pebs]

/.ers know that real men use 'kill -9' to do this.

Only real idiots use kill -9 [netsonic.fi].

Fool!

[joelgrimes]

He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom. (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Fool?

[Anonymous Coward]

He who doesn't break things to find out what it is isn't a geek. (Anonymous Coward)

Re:Fool!

[Trespass]

There is also a geek saying that your understanding of computer hardware is in direct proportion to the amount of equipment you've fried. You want to know how it works. When you make a mistake and break something, hey, there's a good chance you won't make that *exact* mistake again. It's cumulative.

Re:Fool!

[Greedo]

If that is case, I must be a friggin' genius!

I'm sure...

[thelasttemptation]

I'm sure in a month or two he could have gotten a dead one on ebay, thus saving himself $250. Why, oh why kill a good one?

Where do you think this one will end up?

[LothDaddy]

"FS: Mini iPod. $30

This was 'purchased from a friend' and I don't have anyway to test it. I'm selling this cheap and make no guarantees about function."

And he'll only charge $15 for S&H!

Slashdotted already - Google Cache

[Trespass]

http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:jM4q0XOel_oJ: gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/
thumbnails.php%3Falb um%3D6+ipod+mini+autopsy&hl=en &ie=UTF-8

Copy and paste, remove the space, you know the drill.

Re:Slashdotted already - Google Cache

[Ianoo]

Is it really too hard to actually learn how to do a hyperlink [216.239.37.104]? Besides, the Google cache is useless because it doesn't grab images.

autopsy ?

[funny-jack]

This really does seem to be an autopsy since he managed to kill it in the process.

Somehow I doubt that the D.A. would see it that way.

Re:autopsy ?

[rholliday]

"And you payed $249 for this dubious privledge. You're a sick sick man. I rest my case."

Auto Applications

[Enze6997]

If there was an easy way to create some kind of direct hot swappable drive slot for this hard disk that you could switch between a PC and a car you could really do some crazy in car audio mods for cheap. Have the i-pod display and controll buttons mounted somewhere in the car and then just wire in the audio to the Aux audio input for the stereo. It would be a not only easy mod but a cool looking one if done right.

All you really need to read is the conclusion

[_PimpDaddy7_]

Conclusion:

Don't take apart your new iPod mini.

Well that takes care of that, doesn't it? :)

Coming soon: iPod Mini's Dirty Secret...

[Anonymous Coward]

...they break when ham-handed fools take them apart, and Apple won't give said fools a free replacement!

Paging the Neistat brothers...

Well..

[dtio]

..this definitely hacking for fun and [for apple's] profit ;)

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

money well spent

[markov_chain]

That's $249 well spent in the pursuit of knowledge.

$249 is not a lot, but I would love to see his bandwidth bill this month ;)

4 GB CF extraction..

[steppin_razor_LA]

I read this site yesterday after seeing a link in the Slickdeals discussion forums.

It sounds like extracting the 4GB CF isn't much of a problem.

People have been able to put it in a CF reader and get it working fine on their computers.

A number of people have reported problems getting the CF to work with their cameras or other CF devices working in the iPod. I suspect that this has something to do with how apple formatted the disk and will eventually be solved.

For those of you laughing at iPod mini buyers -- they could probably sell the 4GB CF cards for a profit.

Re:4 GB CF extraction..

[cflorio]

There is a discussion over at dpreview.com [dpreview.com] that details the trials of trying to get the removed microdrive to work with cameras, etc.

Maybe someone in the slashdot community could contribute to the thread over there with some ideas on how to get it to work?

Re:4 GB CF extraction..

[jone1941]

For those of you laughing at iPod mini buyers -- they could probably sell the 4GB CF cards for a profit.

Really? I find that really hard to believe. It just doesn't seem possible that apple would be getting such a good deal on these drives that they could still provide the rest of the ipod, and yet the retail value is so high that a consumer could sell it for a profit. I'm sure that apple is getting a great price on it, but how are the major hardware retailer's not also getting a similar deal?

Re:4 GB CF extraction..

[addaon]

Compact flash is an interface. It is used by solid state disks, rotating disks, modems, and other devices. In this case, it is rather obvious from context that the CF device under discussion was a hard drive.

Another photo gallery

[Anonymous Coward]

Can't get to the article, but found this one showing a nicely dissected mini ipod...

iPod mini Dissection [ipodding.com]

Ummm....

[Stingr]

"This really does seem to be an autopsy since he managed to kill it in the process."

I'm no expert but aren't autopsies supposed to be performed after death??? I believe the word you are looking for is malpractice.

Picky, picky, picky

[michael_cain]

This really does seem to be an autopsy since he managed to kill it in the process.

Wouldn't that technically make it a vivisection? Since it was alive when he started?

Site slashdotted

[broothal]

This happens every day. A story is posted on slashdot that links to some site.
Site is brought to its knees.

Now - how about a slashdot-cache like google cache? It's not fair to punish the guys that post interesting stuff on their website like this story.
All links in the story would then link to the slashdot-cache and leave the original site alive.

And - aside from saving the sites some trouble, it would enable those of us who came in late to see how he dismantled that ipod.

Re:Site slashdotted

[The_K4]

Yeah, but it's more fun for use to watch the sever implode.....

Necropsy

[jkujawa]

It's a necropsy unless the procedure is being done by another iPod mini.
Autopsy refers to dissection of a human by a human, or by extension, some instance of class 'foo' by another instance of class 'foo'.

Actually, in this case, it would be a vivisection, as the iPod started out functional, and died due to the procedure.

You may not find the screws again...

[autophile]

Turn the mini over, looking back into the top, you will see two tiny philips head screws on either side of another metal plate. Remove these with the #000 screwdriver carefully and put them in a safe place (don't drop these on the floor, you will never see them again).

...but you will hear them.

Whirrrrrrrr--clickclickclick*clunk!*--whirrrrrrrrr

--Rob

Re:You may not find the screws again...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Hey you can poke an iYe out with that.

Slashdoted to hell, solution?

[zeux]

Ok listen everybody. Let's try to go on the website one by one.

Stop clicking the link, I'm going first ;)

autopsy? I think not

[pmbuko]

CmdrTaco needs to update his vocabulary. If the subject is alive before the procedure, but dead afterward -- that's murder! Or at least a malpractice lawsuit.

Replace that microdrive?

[Anonymous Coward]

Would it be possible to rip out the 4GB microdrive, put it to good use in a camera, and replace it with a 512meg solid-state CF card? Would give you a non-skipping iPod mini that can interface with iTunes, and plenty of space to go work out with it. Plus the cheap microdrive.

spend $249 and get ... $480, plus

[Mablung]

Here's a discussion [studio2f.com] that talks about yanking the ($479.95) Hitachi microdrive inside. More discussion on my original source: boingboing [boingboing.net]

No sig for you!

Re:spend $249 and get ... $480, plus

[blackmonday]

If you're getting the microdrive included with the $249 mini, I fail to see how this is card can be considered to have a value of $480.

Shouldn't it be the drive that used to cost $480? Indeed, I checked ebay and the price of those drives have magically fallen to around $250. What a surprise!

yet another dissected ipod mini

[mohrt]

Here is another one [ipoding.com].

Somewhat related question

[ktulu1115]

Please don't mod this offtopic, as it is a relevant question...

For those iPod owners out there: What has been your experience with the device as far as strength/stability goes? As in... Does a drop off a table crash the heads? I am looking into purchasing one possibly, but my main use will be for snowboarding and if it's not gonna be able to take some abuse (obviously it will be in my jacket but still subject to vibration and the occassional wipeouts), I would rather go with a solid-state one. Any feedback would be most useful.

Re:Somewhat related question

[cyberworm]

I've got a 40gig iPod, and haven't had a problem with it. I'm pretty rough on my hardware (This iPod has been dropped 4 times since christmas) as well as the father of a two year old son (who found it laying out and decided to press the buttons ruthlessly and shake it a few times). Still works and none the worse for it.
As far as skipping goes, if it's in my pocket when I go up or down stairs quickly, it hasn't skipped yet.
In fact, the only problem I have had, happened when using the Belkin Battery Pack. When the batteries in the pack started dying, the music slowed down, similar to a record slowing down.

I recently got an iSkin for my pod, which I think was a great investment for helping to protect it.

aloha

Re:Somewhat related question

[lytlebill]

Having used iPod the very first time I went snowboarding, I can say it lived fairly well despite my frequent crashes. That trip, I loaned it to my more experienced friend, and he loved it, all the while shredding more and crashing less. I have a 10GB second gen iPod, and including that visit to the slopes, it has suffered minor drops very well. By minor I mean 2-3 feet, while it is either off or running. So far, I haven't lost it onto concrete or metal from distance (knock on wood), but I purchased it with an extended warranty from CompUSA, so I imagine I have a slightly more reassured attitude about the whole thing.

Re:Somewhat related question

[Wooo]

I do a lot of rollerblading with my iPod here in the streets of New York City and I've had my fair share of wipeouts. The trick is to get a case similar to this [hausofpods.com] one which provides non-slip rubberized sides and a nylon face and backing. I've dropped my iPod while standing up, fallen on it, crashed into various obstacles etc. and my iPod is still working perfectly to this day.

Just make sure to get a case which will offer some shock protection, the standard case which ships with the iPod wasn't really meant for any contact sports.

as the old joke goes

[geighaus]

Autopsy showed that that patient's death was caused by the autopsy.

Breaking it is by definition unwise

[Ed Avis]

He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom. -- Gandalf

not slashdotted; PETE has ddos attacked the site

[sam_handelman]

PETE (People for the Ethical Treatment of Electronics) maintains that the goals of science can be equally well served without doing harm to our bleeping, whirring, cousins. As a show of protest, they have initiated a series of ddos attacks against sites linked to by popular "electronic butchery forum" slashdot. [slashdot.org]

PETE spokesman Nigel Rehnquist defending the ddos attack, saying "the ethically important question is not - can electronics understand what is being done to them? The ethically important question is - can electronics feel pain? I've trained my tamagotchi to wail in agony when I press this button, which makes YOU a sadist!"

PETE has achieved notoriety in recent years for it's colorful lobbying and advertising efforts. One series of advertisements, which NBC declined to air, showed graphic depictions of graphing calculator-shaped puppets transmiting IR signals to one another and moaning in the throes of ecstacy. PETE called the advertisement a public service announcement to remind Americans how important and easy it was (only a bit of tape is required) to "fix" their graphic calculators. Prominent executives at another network approached about the ads, speaking on condition they not be identified, called the series of advertisements "disturbing, incomprehensible and weird." "One of them kept rocking his cellphone and singing to it," added one executive, "they scare me."

Next step!

[dynayellow]

Now you must demand that Apple give you a new one and create an iMovie of you defacing their advertisements.

Also, register appledidnotpreventmefromdestroyingmyminiipod.com

MSNBC, here you come!

Consider it buying the microdrive.

[raygundan]

Those 4GB microdrives retail for a LOT more than $250. It would be a good deal based on that alone, but as an mp3 player, you can do better in the space per dollar department.

Re:$249?

[metallicagoaltender]

i think the mini-ipod will be a complete flop, too price for too little.

If it was being manufactured by any company besides Apple, I'd agree wholeheartedly, but we all know it will do reasonable well, simply because it's an Apple product.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:$249?

[error502]

A girl-friend of mine wanted to buy an iPod mini, too. I proceeded to explain why it was a waste of money and that she was stupid for even thinking to buy it.

I made her cry.

Needless to say, I am a great friend.

Re:$249?

[YomikoReadman]

I think you are failing to realize that those products are aimed at two different markets. The regular iPod we all know and love is not being marketed at the demographic interested in a minature MP3 player, along the lines of the RCA Lyra, or other products along those lines. In that same vein, the iPod Mini is not being marketed towards the folks out there who are interested in a MP3 player with anywhere from 15GB all the way up to 40GB.

I think that once you take that into account, you'll find that the iPod Mini is about the best deal on the market, from a formfactor v price standpoint, as well as the fact that it's the cheapest player in that market.

Re:$249?

[System.out.println()]

I went to the Apple store last weekend and played with one. It really is a lot smaller than you'd think - barely bigger than my year-old MuVo, with about 30 times the capacity, and a hell of a lot cooler. Plus, I only have 4GB of music, so whenever I get money this is going to be one of my first purchases.

Anyone who either has small music libraries, or doesn't need their entire library with them at all times, will probably fall in love with these things. And if you wanted a bigger iPod to use as a backup hard drive, that's just silly, as a mere $100 can buy you a ~100 gig FW hard drive, if not more.
Once again, Apple has positioned their products nicely as "amateur" (iPod mini) and "hardcore" (bigger iPods) products. They should be viewed as such.

Re:$249?

[L.J. Hanson]

"i think the mini-ipod will be a complete flop, too price for too little."

I'd say 100,000 units preordered isn't a flop.

Re:$249?

[EvilTwinSkippy]

No, it's a 0.1 Megaflops.

Re:$249?

[joshua404]

I bought the Mini because it's significantly smaller than the 15 gig iPod. It's also much more solidly built thanks to the aluminum case. Moving the controls under the jog dial is also a huge improvement. But the size and sturdiness were what convinced me: The mini fits into a relatively cramped pocket on a pair of jeans or gym shorts.. the regular iPod just can't do that.

Re:$249?

[Darth Maul]

Is that why they're selling well right now? Some people want a smaller device.

I have a 15GB iPod. My wife and I just bought a iPod mini (blue) for her to use. I must admit it's pretty cool. You really need to see it in person to appreciate the small size and brush-aluminum coolness factor. I was pretty skeptical at first, too.

Re:When,

[Metallic Matty]

will they put out the f*cking $100 one? The one we were all hoping for? Right after Duke Nukem Forever comes out, right?

Of course they will. Right before Infinium Labs releases the Phantom.

Re:When,

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Which will come with a copy with Half-Life 2.

Duh...

[Christopher Bibbs]

Expect the $100 iPod sometime between when they've sold an iPod to nearly everyone that will pay more than a $100 and a competitor can come close to offering a product with equal sex appeal for less than $150.

Re:When,

[Chiron Taltos]

will they put out the f*cking $100 one? The one we were all hoping for? Right after Duke Nukem Forever comes out, right?

How does what users hoped for, equate to vaporware? Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall Apple ever saying they'd release a $100 iPod.

Re:Hype?

[damiam]

When you can strap a discman on an armband and go jogging with it, then you'll have a point.

Re:We Need Help...

[bobbabemagnet]

My group at Oregon State University is currently working on a device that uses an old hard drive from an Ipod. We have successfully interfaced with it, and can read and write from it at blazing speeds using an FPGA. See our web site here:

http://classes.engr.oregonstate.edu/eecs/fall200 3/ ece441/groups/g15/

If you have more questions, send me an email (also listed on the web page)

Bob

Re:We Need Help...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've successfully interfaced with my iPod hard drive, and can read and write from it at blazing speeds right out of the box.

Re:We Need Help...

[CajunArson]

I got a question.... you do realize that Apple just buys the HD's used in iPods from a regular OEM (I know that at one point at least Fujitsu was selling the HD's) So why didn't you just go buy the same HD for less money???
I found it amusing that when the very first iPods came out that the same HD used was reviewed and the reviewers complained about how slow it was. The irony was not that the HD was slow, but that at the same time the "firewire" connection to the iPod was being trumpeted even though the HD could not come even closed to saturating the connection.

Re:We Need Help...

[joshua404]

The drive used in the iPod Mini retails for much more than the Mini sells for. Apple is either getting an amazing volume price from Hitachi or they are taking it up their collective asses in order to infiltrate the market.

Re:We Need Help...

[Apiakun]

Well, in the case of the iPod mini, the hard drive retails for $500 [google.com] whereas the iPod mini is half of that. I know of a few digital camera junkies that are considering buying the iPod just for the hard drive.

Re:We Need Help...

[shamino0]

I know of a few digital camera junkies that are considering buying the iPod just for the hard drive

If you do, point them to this page [steves-digicams.com]. The author there recommends buying a Creative Nomad MuVo. It has the same 4G drive and sells for $200.

Re:We Need Help...

[sensate_mass]

Because the drives retail for twice what the whole ipod goes for by itself. Currently, it's possible to make a profit [ebay.com] by buying the ipod and selling just the drive on ebay.

Re:We Need Help...

[AoT]

So if I sold the drive and the battery I could make a fortune.

Money here I come.

Re:We Need Help...

[bobbabemagnet]

We considered this. It was actually cheaper for us to buy a defective iPod off of ebay than to get it from the OEM. The iPod hard drive was fine, it was another part of the iPod that was defective. Also, since we were using the battery as well, this was a package deal that saved us a LOT of money over buying the parts from manufacturers directly. Finally, we only needed to build a prototype, so getting the parts like this was preferred to begging the OEM to sell us single parts rather than in bulk.

bob

Re:all that work and no 4gb camera friendly CF

[Anonymous Coward]

From the comments in the page:

I took one apart also... The Hitachi drive works fine in my Sandisk USB reader. I can delete partitions and reformat it, etc. However, my Digital Rebel just turns the Red CF light on and sits there.

By Kent Marshall on Feb 23, 04 4:17 am

It looks like you can get the 4gb microdrive for $249 afterall.

Re:Waste of money indeed!

[markov_chain]

We've been through this already: mini iPods have enough space for most people, so there is no value in getting the roomier one. On the other hand, the smaller physical size makes them much more convenient.

Re:Waste of money indeed!

[Scrameustache]

For just $50 more (thats like just #30, not much) you get 10 times the space

Well, that's just completely misinformed. For 50 more you get 3 times the space actually.

I hope that Ipod mini is a flop!

Yes! How dare they engineer, design and sell products?!
Not only will I not buy it, but I wish financial ruin on them for their audacity in manufacturing a device not aimed at me!

But, just like how Apple sells 0.1 upgrades of OSX for the price of a 1.0 upgrade

Who are these people to number their upgrades thus?
I say if we are to feel that we are getting enough for what we pay, we musn't look at the actual additional features and performance upgrades! We want a BIGGER numbers: Only that is worth money!

Re:Flash drive

[GizmoToy]

It is hard drive based. Its just that the hard drive used the Compact Flash interface more common to flash memory. It's a tiny hard drive manufactured by Hitachi.