Artist and maker Paul Rickards has put collectively a information to turning a traditional however broken third-generation Apple iPod from landfill-fodder right into a fully-functional pocketable solid-state MP3 participant — full with dramatically elevated storage capability.
“My first iPod was the iPod 3G so I used to be a bit late to the sport. I’ve personal a number of iPods after that however the iPod 3G I felt was an ideal distillation of the unique iPod expertise,” Rickards explains. “4 separate buttons in a row and a contact wheel (nothing strikes) appeared like peak iPod design to me. My unique laborious drive now not works so an replace to stable state reminiscence looks like an ideal improve.”
A traditional iPod 3G will be improve to simply accept microSD Card storage — with a particular mixture of adapters. (📷: Paul Rickards)
Apple launched its first iPod in 2001, round eight months after the primary model of the iTunes media administration device for Mac OS, and whereas it wasn’t the primary firm to launch a transportable battery-powered MP3 participant its slick advertising and marketing noticed it turn into probably the most widespread round. Rickards’ third-generation mannequin was the final to make use of twin fixed-frequency 90MHz Arm ARM7TDMI-based processor cores working at 90MHz paired with Wolfson audio codecs — and whereas all of the electronics have confirmed their longevity, the spinning-platter mechanical Toshiba 1.8″ laborious drives inside are sometimes the second half to interrupt after the battery.
With Rickard’s iPod laborious drive having gone the best way of most, it was time for an improve — swapping the failed mechanical drive for solid-state storage, utilizing a CompactFlash to IDE adapter board. Quite than utilizing high-priced CompactFlash playing cards themselves, although, Rickards’ improve makes use of a second adapter — this time to transform a lower-cost microSD Card to CompactFlash.
Along with the brand new solid-state storage, the traditional iPod acquired a much bigger battery too. (📷: Paul Rickards)
“In an ideal world, you’d be capable of plug the iPod into your traditional Mac and use iTunes to revive [your songs],” Rickards notes of the software program facet of the equation. “Sadly, the older variations of iTunes can now not contact Apple’s software program replace servers any extra so it would fail.” Whereas some options exist, all had drawbacks — main Rickards to undergo the partition creation course of manually, for which he supplies step-by-step directions.
With a brand new battery in place, providing the next capability than the unique, and a restore to a broken flex cable connector that was failing to transmit one channel of audio, Rickards iPod was again in motion — with a range-boosted iTrip accent for wi-fi streaming to an FM radio, too.
The total information is obtainable on Rickards’ weblog.