# Modding an iPod **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977 "2020-09-06T23:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/1 "2020-09-06T23:26:17Z")
I’ve got a iPod Classic and i want to upgrade it. That means installing a solid state drive that will greatly increase its storage capacity, upgrading the battery and installing a new operating system (an open source OS called Rockbox). Has anybody here done this before? It doesn’t look straightforward but will be a nice little challenge. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/2 "2020-09-07T00:52:24Z")
I’ve done the SSD install. As I recall, I used a specific type of CF card that had the correct interface. Google for it. The cards are probably really rare now, because this particular data channel was never very popular, and is even less so now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/3 "2020-09-07T08:46:07Z")
Gonna buy a SSD drive from this site which allows you to use up to four micro SD cards: [https://www.iflash.xyz/](https://www.iflash.xyz/) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/4 "2020-09-08T11:39:41Z")
I installed a modified OS back in the day. It was fun, but its MP3 player was a bit underpowered. But I expect it’s a lot better now. Dunno if you want to use SD cards, as they are generally a lot slower than SSDs. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/5 "2020-09-08T15:51:30Z")
SD cards are perfectly fine for the application of MP3 player storage. The cost and performance advantage of an SSD, even if one was available that fit into an iPod, would be wasted. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/6 "2020-09-08T18:23:46Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Dunno if you want to use SD cards, as they are generally a lot slower than SSDs. The guy on the site I linked to also did speed and power consumption tests and the SD cards seem a tiny bit faster but use a lot less power: [Runtime shootout 2016 : Quad, Dual, Solo, mSata vs. Original Hard Drive – iFlash.xyz](https://www.iflash.xyz/runtime-shootout-2016-quad-dual-solo-msata-vs-original-hard-drive/) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/7 "2020-09-11T11:55:02Z")
> [@Cleophus](#): > > SD cards are perfectly fine for the application of MP3 player storage. The cost and performance advantage of an SSD, even if one was available that fit into an iPod, would be wasted. Yeah, but so are hard drives. I assumed the intention was to make the new OS run better, not for playing MP3s. That said, based on what @Fiendish_Astronaut, said, it sounds like the bottleneck is the connection (or some other part of the hardware), and the SD cards are just as fast if not slightly faster. So I’d definitely go with that, so you can have one or more you can take out and load up. (assuming that is possible and they’re not connected in some RAID-like configuration.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/8 "2020-09-12T19:10:58Z")
Thread title made me think you were gonna give your phone a warning. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/9 "2020-09-16T21:14:27Z")
I did my Ipod Video a little while ago and installed RockBox and a larger battery. Went from 30Gb to 128Gb and it can play roughly 2 days straight if I want it to. No Regerts. I can also play Doom on the tiny little screen which is utterly ridiculous, but fun. Highly recommend you get the install kit unless you have all the tools already; and try and follow ESD procedures to minimize you frying the main board. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/10 "2020-09-16T21:21:09Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > Highly recommend you get the install kit unless you have all the tools already; and try and follow ESD procedures What’s an install kit? Do you mean specialist tools for opening the iPod? And what are ESD procedures? Like wearing gloves etc? ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/11 "2020-09-16T21:48:35Z")
> **[Tools – iFlash.xyz](https://www.iflash.xyz/product-category/tools/)** > > Tools ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. Basically, you want to minimize any static sources and use the antistatic bag the iflash comes in as a mat to work on at a minimum. Ideally you want an esd station but as long as you follow the same precautions as you would working on a PC. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-an-ipod/919977/12 "2020-09-16T21:52:52Z")
Cheers. Yeah already bought the metal spudger in that link and the battery I’m waiting on has plastic opening tools and wedges which I will look at the quality of… Good advice re: the antistatic bag 👍