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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."
What is the point?
I suppose its impressive from a technical point of view, but isn't the point of hacking generally to do something you couldn't already do by just selecting a different model?
I'm confused by the summary. It talks about how the article gives details on how to do it, but it's not a 'how to'. Er... huh? But back to topic, I think this is cool as a technical hack but a bit pointless unless for some strange reason you absolutely need the battery life that I suspect is the only gain. Then again, getting to know how to (but not 'how to') swap your HDD might come in handy when those flash-based HDDs come to the market at reasonable prices.
+Raider of the lost BBS
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.
I, personally, prefer the inverse of this hack.
Go 6 second battery life!
As impressive as it might be, its a waste of time. Lets just wait a year or two before Apple makes this standard.
I will bend like a reed in the wind.
Sure, I'm relatively new here, but it sure is nice to see a /. headline that I truly love. Did you notice the word 'hacker'? It was used correctly!
Hacking has always been about using technology to do something you normally couldn't do. The original hackers built the foundations on which the Web lives. The media and other public opinion sources have vilified all the good hackers by lumping them in with the crackers, script kiddies, and other generally nasty online personas.
Hackers continue to advance the state of technology, whether its writing new bits of the Linux kernel or by upgrading a typically non-user-servicable iPod. The article says it itself: Apple will eventually offer a Flash-based model. Granted, they might have done this themselves eventually, but if the populace starts modding their iPods to run Flash, it only pressures Apple to move forward. Think about the early case modders: Windows, lights, case paint other than beige....Now about 70% of cases I see on Newegg have windows and LEDs.
Whether Fox News wants to admit it or not, hackers will continue to drive innovation. Not MS, not Apple...
khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
Here is a dual. Nice advantage is that you can do 4-8G for the system, and then a 4,8, or 16G for the data. I will probably do this later to one of my laptops.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
I'd be impressed except that compact flash is electrically and programatically compatible with the ATA spec *by design* so replacing an ata hard drive with compact flash requires only mating the two physical plugs.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
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!
Never eat more than you can lift -- Miss Piggy
It's only a matter of time before larger capacity cards come out. And it's only a matter of time before they become dirt cheap. Just because it isn't very practical now doesn't mean it won't be in the near future.
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).
Hacking the iPod and modding other portable media players seems to be an interesting hobby for computer nomads. The Repair4Player project lists all kinds of repair, upgrade and hacking guides for portable players.
They already exist! $25 for one that supports one flash card, and $30 for one that supports 2. :)