Hacker Replaces iPod HDD With Flash Memory

Via a Wired Blog, an anonymous reader wrote with a link to a post on the Geek Technique website. There, post author Mark Hoekstra details how to replace an iPod's HDD with flash memory. It's not an inexpensive procedure, as 16 Gigs of flash memory is still a mite expensive, and the post is not a 'how-to'. Just the same, the project took painstaking work and is well worth recognizing. "I guess I can say I found ways of eliminating almost every hard drive out of almost every hard drive based iPod thereby eliminating all moving parts. The only one left is the iPod video which would only need a slightly different adapter. But next to that I've got a gut feeling that one's being upgraded to flash memory by Apple themselves any time soon."

Re:How about for my laptop?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

Yes, I got one from NewEgg. The pinouts on a CF card are pretty close to IDE already. There are adapters that will connect your CF card to either a desktop IDE interface or to a laptop one, they have pins for both on the same card.

Re:Since Apple makes flash based iPods...

[Jeff DeMaagd]

If you must have an iPod, then yes, then the current flash based models will do music, but they won't play video, nor do they have a large enough screen for decent photos or videos. There are flash models that compete with the nano that can play video, I had a Sansa e2xx something, but it was clunky and the screen is tiny.

Re:Since Apple makes flash based iPods...

[MichaelSmith]

Not as bullet proof though [flickr.com]

Cheap iPod mini

[canadiangoose]

I had an iPod mini that was stolen a couple of years ago, and I've wanted a new one ever since. With this hack I can buy a broken one used (and cheap) and put in a couple of gigs of flash myself. Cool. I'm not looking for something that hold too much, no videos or anything. As a plus, I can upgrade it as flash prices drop. Sweet!

Re:Since Apple makes flash based iPods...

[dmsuperman]

Not to mention since he put a flash based drive in there, he could probably put one of those 32 or 64GB flash based drives in it. If I had to guess, the three biggest problems with iPods are the screens, hard drives, and batteries. Eliminate one by buying a batter pack, and replace the HDD with a solid state drive and you greatly reduce any risk of problems with your iPod.

Re:Useless

[jfuredy]

Less storage then a regular size iPod. More than twice the cost of two 8GB iPod nanos. Other than for the sheer sake of proving it can be done, why is this hack impressive again?

Well, for one thing, he got you and many thousands of other people talking about it and thinking about it. That's how new things are learned and discovered. Trying new things and learning from them. At least he actually DID something, rather than just questioning why other people do things on /. .

Re:Since Apple makes flash based iPods...

[Anonymous Coward]

I have an ipod with a physically messed up hard drive. Now it can still get some use.

Re:Umm... So?

[sarahbau]

Do you think everyone runs out and buys the newest iPod as soon as it's released? There are tons of people out there with 4GB Minis, and 10-20GB 2G and 3G iPods that this would actually be a storage upgrade for, not to mention reliability improvement and increased battery life. All of the models I mentioned have hard drive based storage, which is by far the most likely component to go bad due to it having moving parts. It also means you can't really jog with these models due to skipping. I suppose you also can't skip with one of them due to jogging. 8GB Compact Flash cards are under $75, and $16GB cards are just over $200 and dropping fast. I'd consider replacing my 10GB iPod's drive with an 8GB flash drive if I used it for jogging or wanted longer battery life (I only use it in my car).

Re:Since Apple makes flash based iPods...

[alisson]

The point is that he is selling his adapter to people who want more battery life or skip protection out of their video iPods.

Stop using a jackhammer while listening to your iPod. No, seriously, it's not easy to make them skip. And if you simply must listen to your iPod while jack-hammering for more than 20 hours straight, and don't mind having a rather limited hard-drive, why not just get a freaking nano? They're cheaper, with a longer battery life, and already have a flash drive.