Simplify your laptop buyingBump up your old iPod to 240GB
How much storage can you cram into your old iPod? Try 240 gigs.
(Credit: RapidRepair)I'll catch some hell for saying it, but Apple's fifth-generation iPod (aka the iPod Video) is one of the best hard-drive MP3 players of all time.
Say what you will about sound quality or the easily scratched screen, compared with today's iPod models the 5G iPod has a lot of advantages: it's compatible with just about every iPod accessory ever made; video output is built right in; you can use it with older computers and old versions of iTunes; and there are countless ways to hack and modify it. Unfortunately, the old guy just doesn't offer enough storage.
Don't throw out that old 5G just yet. Rapid Repair now offers a 240GB replacement hard drive specifically made for the 5G iPod (iPod Classic and Zune users will have to look elsewhere). Granted, the drive will set you back $294, but it could be worthwhile if you just can't live without your entire music collection in your pocket or you insist on listening to large lossless audio files.
I could also see the justification for upgrading if you've already invested in a lot of iPod accessories (speakers, car stereos, video docks) that won't work with new iPod models due to differences in voltage or video output. Spending $300 to upgrade an MP3 player you love makes much more sense than spending the same money to upgrade all your perfectly good iPod accessories.
Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
Plus, let's face it. The portable, small form factor HDD is dead with all the money being thrown at SSD nowadays. Even within the computer sector, sure we are hitting 2 TB drives, but look at how fast SSD drive prices are falling. It's astounding.
http://img412.imageshack.us/my.php?image=17032008039mr5.jpg
fits allright
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Yes, b_baggins, no doubt.
The new generation of players (Zune, in particular) are much better, and cost less then that hard drive upgrade alone.
notice he said new generation
that only affected 30 GB zunes and it fixed itself the next day
nice try.
-Ipod owner
Well, it's not really a 240GB bump if I already have 80GB. Wouldn't that be a 160GB bump?
And why not just pick up a couple of used 80GB ipods for less than $200? That way I have extras if I ever need them, and I don't have to go through the whole "upgrade" hassle.
Also, three different people can use them at the same time, or you have three times the battery life, or connect one to the TV, one to the car, and carry the third.
Did I mention that it costs a lot less to get three times the ipods, not just three times the hard drive? Am I missing something here? Is there something life-altering about a large hard drive in an old ipod???
I will say solidly that the iPod is the best example of marketing overshadowing performance in ...well just about forever really. :)
- My $900 Pioneer car receiver/DVD player (purchased about 3 years ago) came with an iPod interface cable that works only with the 5G and older models. Purchasing a newer iPod would no longer integrate with my Pioneer.
- Many of you seem to forget the "video" part of it. (Its official name was the "iPod Video", after all.) My 80gb iPod is heavily used for video. While my entire music collection accounts for 20% of its capacity (and yes, it IS nice to have your entire music collection at your disposal), the remainder is filled with video. I have 2 young kids, and on long drives, or trips to their grandparents, it's nice to be able to have ALL of their favorite videos (movies I've ripped from our DVDs, or TV shows downloaded from iTunes) in one device without having to fumble with multiple DVDs. For me, it's an easy, portable way to catch up on entire seasons of my favorite shows.
- As the article alludes, a 5G iPod can output video to a TV with a standard $7 A/V cable through the headphone jack -- as opposed to current iPods that require the purchase of Apple's "special" $50 dock connector cable.
How far away are we from getting a SSD version with, say, 400GB? *drool*
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by bluemudkipz
February 21, 2009 4:46 PM PST
- Problem is, if you have such a large music collection to need a memory upgrade, then you're obviously very attached to your music. It seems to me that you'd have to re-sync all of your music onto the new hard drive, which could take a pretty long time. Plus, what if it doesn't work out? It's not just the $300 that goes down the drain; so does your iPod and possibly your accessories too.
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