Filed under: iPod Family, Hacks, Surveys and Polls
Old iPod mini: Take apart or sell?
When I grabbed my 5G 60GB iPod, my wife "inherited" my iPod nano, and as a result, her 4GB pink iPod mini complete with an engraving reading "Kiss my Kris" on the back went into complete and total disuse.Now, I was just going to try to sell it on eBay along with my 60GB 4G iPod, but then this morning when I woke up, I thought: "Hey, why not take it apart and try to get that 4GB microdrive running in my D70?"
What do you think TUAW readers? Take apart or sell? And have any of you managed to get this drive working in a digital camera post such an autopsy?
Update: As one of our readers, arkowi, pointed out, this thread verifies that the microdrive in the iPod minis will not work in a digital camera due to hardware limitations and the device not being CF-compliant. This is how Apple got the drives at reduced cost. That being said, I do have a 340MB microdrive. I wonder if I eviscerated the iPod mini and then eviscerated both of these microdrives, if I could transport that 4GBs of data over into the CF-compliant interface of the 340MB microdrive. Hmm... That would be a good hack.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brad said 10:20AM on 11-19-2005
I'd just hang on to it and keep in intact considering that I don't trust the nano.
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djones said 10:24AM on 11-19-2005
Well, despite ilounge's conclusion of "Dont take apart your new iPod mini", I'm going to have to advocate doing just that, because it sounds like a blast, and maybe Altoids has a new candy that would make a great holster. ;)
Seriously though, it would likely work, but I've read of people doing similar things (even purchasing new drives straight from Hitachi) on the Canon 350D, and it's been problematic. Some people can't even format the drive, others can take pictures, but the files are frequently corrupt, and I've even heard of one that shuts the camera off every time they try to take a picture.
So it would be great fun, but I'd be wary if you're intending to use it for "serious" pictures.
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Alex M said 10:32AM on 11-19-2005
Do it.....
(But only because I want you to post pics and let us see how it went)
Let's face it, if you're not using it then trash it - I mean how much is it going to go for on eBay??
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Penginkun said 10:38AM on 11-19-2005
Currently someone's got a pink 4gb iPod mini for sale (http://cgi.ebay.com/PINK-IPOD-MINI-4-GIG-INCLUDES-ACCESORIES-L-K-MINT_W0QQitemZ5830327011QQcategoryZ75462QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) and it's at $102. I wouldn't rip mine apart for a drive I might not be able to use when I knew I could get that much for it.
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arkowi said 10:42AM on 11-19-2005
CK,
Beware. I would do some research on this. I see to remember someone telling me this will not work. I am no saying I am 100% on track here, but I would look into it first.
-arkowi
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Joe Buchheit said 10:50AM on 11-19-2005
Ebay, first off, is not the way to go. You wouldn't get too much and too many people try to sell their old goodies on ebay to make some Christmas cash this time of year.
Take it apart, it would be a great post.
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arkowi said 10:52AM on 11-19-2005
google: ipod microdrive in camera
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=22672&forum_id=52
"I have yet to find a camera where the Ipod drive will work. It's not the same drive as the other MP3 player. Different part number and there is NO CF logo indicating it is NOT Compact Flash spec compliant."
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uicandrew said 11:16AM on 11-19-2005
there is NO way it wil work. when the ipod mini and all the microdrive based devices came out, the 4gb microdrive was referred to as "precious bounty." people would buy the creative muvo2 4gb player because it was cheaper than buying a 4gb microdrive through retail. apple was smart and "locked" the drive somehow. don't try to salvage it. too many people have tried and failed. just google the topic
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sydd said 10:58PM on 11-19-2005
Don't throw it away! Install linux on it and boot your macs off it. Isn't the ipod mini 6gig one of the last firewire-bootable ipods?
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markie said 12:02PM on 11-19-2005
it still makes an excellent firewire/USB-drive... Now let's all hope there's gonna be some OSx86-Live-image (probably from dubious sources) and astonish everyone with booting OS X from a pink iPod mini :D, but you could put a Linux Live-Image on there as well of course... (and old? I bought my golden mini in April this year, that's 7 months ago... even though it's discontinued and by ipod-standards obsolete, I can't think of it as old...(no offence though))
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James said 12:28PM on 11-19-2005
From what I recall, the drives in the iPod mini don't have an onboard controller, it actually sits on the iPod's own logic board. That's going to give you two problems:
1. The connection from the board to the raw drive isn't going to be IDE; in fact it's probably going to be proprietary and undocumented.
2. Even if you have tiny fingers like a capuchin monkey you're not going to be able to simply connect the controller from your CF drive to the raw iPod drive. Quite apart from the soldering involved being impossibly tiny, they're not going to be compatible.
There's so much more you can do with an iPod mini from installing Linux on it to selling it on eBay to lining it up with all your newer ones and making a Flickr stream called "Haha look you plebs I have so many I don't even use them all" that you shouldn't really feel you need to tear it apart.
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Collin said 3:56AM on 11-20-2005
You mention at the end putting the 4 GB of data into the CF compliant card. By that, do you mean putting the storage device itself into the CF card that "speaks" the appropriate language?
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C.K. Sample, III said 8:11AM on 11-20-2005
Collin, yes. I was thinking about this (http://hackaday.com/entry/1234000840067578/) when I thought of the transplant.
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HDL said 10:14AM on 11-20-2005
Here is a thought. Keep using it!
I have five iPods. Here are two suggestions. It is not worth selling them; you might as well keep them or give them to your kids or your parents as you upgrade. I keep them. Second, it is never wise to upgrade to the biggest, top of the line iPod -unless you really need the capacity. Apple upgrades the iPod so often that it is not worth the money to carry a heavier unit with extra capacity that will go unused.
As to what to do with your old iPods, there are better uses for old iPods than throwing them away, or taking them apart for the fun of it. You can set them up with docking station and powered speaders anywhere you want to listen to your music: your office, your bedroom, your kitchen. I mean, I've got iPods spread all over the place. I go into the kitchen; I've music. I work in my home office; I've music. I work on my real job office; I've music. I go to sleep; my docked iPod wakes me up in the morning. I entertain in the living room; I have a video iPod hooked up to my stereo system and TV.
Powered speakers have great sound; they are relatively inexpensive. Pair them with your older iPods. The music is still the same, and as we all know, it is all about the music.
And if after reading this, you still do not what to do; heck, give it to me. I'll give it a good home.
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PAF said 3:43PM on 11-25-2005
I would try to sell on Ebay. I've heard from lots of people that they are not happy with the Nano and want a mini. Good luck. The inscription might actually help!
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Laura Ferguson said 1:15AM on 11-28-2005
This might seem really random and inappropriate for this topic, but I've been looking for a pink 4 GB mini and would love to buy yours. Email me if you want to sell it to a poor college student!
lauramferguson@gmail.com
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Claudia Scherstuhl said 1:03AM on 12-04-2005
Hey, you need to go take a look at what those minis are selling for on ebay. I wanted one, looked at ebay and the prices are increasing quickly right now. Used, new AND non-working. I think I'll wait until after Christmas. I have looked at the video ipods, and they just don't interest me. Am I nuts?
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