Why do I let Apple own me?

February 2, 2006 7:25 PM

Have you used ipodmods? My ipod's hard drive just kicked the bucket and the apple "genius" told me ipodmods could replace it...but I'm not exactly comfortable putting my iPod in a box and mailing it out into the unknown.

At least if I keep it I can get 10% off a new one...

It's a 40 GB 4th generation, just over 1yr old, warrenty just up, and I'd much rather pay $150 to replace my hard drive then shell out for a new one.

Boy, this sounds like a story I've heard over, and over, and over...

posted by ebeeb to Technology (6 answers total)

This doesn't have anything to do with Apple. A hard drive in a unit like the iPod is very fragile, whomever makes it.

Whatever iPodMods does, you could do yourself. It's just delicate.

It'll void your warranty either way.
posted by teece at 8:10 PM on February 2, 2006

you could do yourself

Seconded. Have you ever replaced or upgraded a computer hard disk? It's like that, only a bit tighter. Archos people have been adding +100GB drives to their players for years and I noticed recently that end-user hardware mods are finally becoming relatively common for ipods as well. There are even handy dandy pictorial guides for ipod hard disk upgrading.
posted by meehawl at 9:05 PM on February 2, 2006

Huh, I've definitely upgraded a computer hard disk before...and I might be able to do it myself. Thanks for that tip.

But I'm kind of lazy...and willing to mail it too.

Teece: my warranty is already up. If I still had my warranty I would have just had Apple replace the drive.

Has anybody actually sent their ipod to ipodmods for fixing?
posted by ebeeb at 9:32 PM on February 2, 2006

ebeeb, I've never sent anything to those guys. But replacing the hard drive is not going to be any harder than replacing the battery, and average folks can replace the battery on an iPod.

This walks you through the steps they are going to take at iPodMod, complete with pictures. This one is a little more thorough, especially about the software end of things.

The hardest part is cracking the damn thing open.

But that will let you decide if the fee iPodMod charge is worth it to you, or whether you just want to get yourself a replacement a hard drive, and put it in yourself, or just buy a new player. (Go for a flash-based player if you keep killing hard drive based players -- they really can only put up with so much bouncing).
posted by teece at 9:48 PM on February 2, 2006

I've got a 40GB that meets the same description. (A macintouch.com reliability survey indicated this model has the worst failure rate of any iPod).

Any tips on shopping for a replacement drive? What specifically am I looking for, and how do I find a good price?
posted by sudama at 6:11 AM on February 3, 2006

Here's another guy who cracked open a 4th Gen iPod and replaced the hard drive. Basically he opened it up, looked at the model number on the drive, then purchased the same drive from eBay as a replacement.

Data point: my 1year old 40GB 4th gen just died last week; Apple replaced it whole under my Applecare protection plan, but I fully expect to be replacing the hard drive myself in another year or so.
posted by junkbox at 6:30 AM on February 3, 2006