[Frostynuggs57]

Make sure you keep fiddling with the ribbon connecting the ssd.  I got the red x when installing and ssd into my 7g classic over and over and kept messing with the ribbon cable and finally got it to work flawlessly.  It was the super talent 64gb drive so I can't confirm that the 256 will work but I would suggest to kept trying it a few more times.

 

[zzffnn]

Interested in this mod, although I am waiting for SSD price go down a bit.

 

[davidcotton]

Over here in the uk the price has really started to come down now.  It's possible to pick up 120 gig ssds for around a £100 or under atm.  240 gig is currently £160 or so.  Of course if any of them would work in this mod is another thing entirely.

 

[zzffnn]

I have some random thoughts and welcome comments:
 
Would it be easier/cheaper to replace iPod’s HDD with SDXC cards? I know there is no SDXC larger than 128GB right now (128GB SDXC costs USD $180), but an iPod-compatible 256GB SSD can easily cost > $450. Will the price of SDXC fall faster than SSD?
 
I have little knowledge on this, though it seems that people can replace iPod’s HDD with a 32GB CF card with an adapter. Is there an iPod-compatible adapter for SDXC to PATA ZIF? There is SD to CF adapter for sure.
 
If we are only playing music (i.e., no large video files), then does SSD provide more benefit than SDXC? I understand that SSD can easily be 4 times (or more) faster, which will help while transferring GBs of files. But do we really transfer that many files that often to justify SSD over SDXC?
 
I am not saying it does not make sense to SSD mod iPod. I guess an alternative way is to carry a Rockboxed Sansa Clip+ with a few microSDXC3 cards (only 64GB available currently). 

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

I don't think speed will make much of a difference, neither playback internally nor transfer since it's limited by the USB bus anyway. However, being a portable device, the shock/drop resistance would be considerably higher (based in part on my practical experience with laptops -_-;; )
 
In my case, it would also be only interesting if coupled with in increase in capacity (i.e. doubled from the 120). Looking at what I have left to rip, even a 160GB HD-based iPod won't be enough.
 
However, unless I missed something, I still haven't read anywhere here that someone actually successfully installed -any- 240GB+ SSD drive in a 6.5/7G iPod?!? Also, financially speaking, it might still be cheaper to buy 1-2 extra 160GB iPods as spares... even if that means not carrying a full backup of my whole collection around. Maybe the 240GB HD mod might be a partial solution.

 

[zzffnn]

Quote:

I don't think speed will make much of a difference, neither playback internally nor transfer since it's limited by the USB bus anyway. However, being a portable device, the shock/drop resistance would be considerably higher (based in part on my practical experience with laptops -_-;; )
 
.........

 
^ Can a person transfer music library to a SSD first, then install the loaded SSD to iPod? By doing so (vs. installing the SSD to iPod then transfer to iPod), one may be able to benefit from the speed of SSD, at least before installing it. I guess after installation, the speed of SSD will be limited by iPod's hardware.
 
That is why I asked why not use SDXC3. Because once in an iPod, SDXC should be equally durable (vs. SSD) and not much less in speed. Let us hope for a 256GB SDXC3........

 

[lostid]

Quote:

I don't think speed will make much of a difference, neither playback internally nor transfer since it's limited by the USB bus anyway. However, being a portable device, the shock/drop resistance would be considerably higher (based in part on my practical experience with laptops -_-;; )
 
In my case, it would also be only interesting if coupled with in increase in capacity (i.e. doubled from the 120). Looking at what I have left to rip, even a 160GB HD-based iPod won't be enough.
 
However, unless I missed something, I still haven't read anywhere here that someone actually successfully installed -any- 240GB+ SSD drive in a 6.5/7G iPod?!? Also, financially speaking, it might still be cheaper to buy 1-2 extra 160GB iPods as spares... even if that means not carrying a full backup of my whole collection around. Maybe the 240GB HD mod might be a partial solution.

That's pretty much I have done. Not 160GB but 120GB each for a pair of pods. I intend to get one more backup pod upgraded to 240GB's. With 480GB's and 3 pods, I can enjoy my music for a llllllllllllong time. I used to think buying external HDD's for backup, then with rockbox I told myself why not buying the pods as portable music drives.

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

Quote:

That is why I asked why not use SDXC3. Because once in an iPod, SDXC should be equally durable (vs. SSD) and not much less in speed. Let us hope for a 256GB SDXC3........

It would be nice if someone would release such an adapter but given the niche it would serve, I think the chances are slim to none. 256GB SDXC cards are planned anyway, that one's only a matter of time, esp since it will also, and I'd even say primarily, serve the huge digital camera market...

 

[jackylei168]

Anybody can tell me that iPop classic 7th can install 128GB SSD normally or not?
Thanks!

 

[the wizard of oz]

Quote:

Quote:
It would be nice if someone would release such an adapter but given the niche it would serve, I think the chances are slim to none. 256GB SDXC cards are planned anyway, that one's only a matter of time, esp since it will also, and I'd even say primarily, serve the huge digital camera market...

Easy: get Tarkan's ZIF to CF adapter, and then get a CF to SDXC adapter.

 

[zzffnn]

Easy: get Tarkan's ZIF to CF adapter, and then get a CF to SDXC adapter.

I have seen some direct SD to 1.8" PATA ZIF adapter, though I am not sure they fit iPod.

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

Quote:

Easy: get Tarkan's ZIF to CF adapter, and then get a CF to SDXC adapter.

Another question would be if this setup is really compatible with SDXC since most SDHC readers/cameras are incapable of reading the new SDXC cards. As far as adapters go, some are simply physically re-routing the wiring to the alternate pin-layout in which case they are affected (but would the iPod's controller be able to access the new format?) Others include some chip(s) to re-code the signal, in which case the question is: are they up-to-date to handle SDXC?
 
On Tarkan's website, there is no mention of adapter compatibility, so out of curiosity I looked up where straight-up CF cards are at, and they max out at 128GB at a cost that is the same or higher than the SSD drives discussed here!! But also, since he mentions the various iPod generations, I think the physical fit at least doesn't seem to be a problem (and most adapters have the SD card seated flush within the CF card)
 
Still it would be interesting if someone here tried it to see if it is physically & electronically working (even if the SDXC cards top out at 128GB for now)

 

[zzffnn]

A SDXC3 (not SDXC4) card, once formatted as FAT32 (not exFAT), will be compatible with SDHC devices.
I heard you can only find out SDXC3 vs. SDXC4 by using them, although current offerings are likely to be SDXC3. SDXC4 can not be compatible with SDHC due to hardware incompatibilities, but SDXC3 can.

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

Thanks for clarifying that. So it looks to be feasible. Maybe once I get my second iPod, I'll use the old one as a testbed (if no one else has tried it by then) since the price is low enough to experiment (compared to the cost of a real SSD...) esp. since I have already 1-2 smaller SDXC cards.

 

[swordguy]

This thread is great!  I'm hoping to upgrade to solid state when (not if) my hard drive starts failing.  I have a 6g 80GB unit.  I don't want anything too extreme.  128GB would be fine.  There's a lot of information here!  I'm sorry if I repeat things that have already been posted as reading through the entire 19 pages of posts would take forever.  There seem to be a lot of options!  Compact flash with an adaptor, ZIF SSD drives, and even the SDXC.  I found this on Wikipedia:
 
"SDXC cards are pre-formatted with Microsoft's proprietary and patented exFAT file system, which the host device might not support. Since Microsoft does not publish the specifications of exFAT and its use requires a non-free license, many alternative or older operating systems do not support exFAT for technical or legal reasons. The use of exFAT on some SDXC cards may render SDXC unsuitable as a universal exchange medium, as an SDXC card that uses exFAT would not be usable in all host devices. Since the FAT32 file system supports volumes up to the SDXC's maximum theoretical capacity of 2 TB as well, a user could reformat an SDXC card to use FAT32 for greater portability between computers. FAT32-formatted SDXC cards can be used in a host device built for SDHC if the host device can handle 64GB and larger volumes."
 
This would mean a converter made for larger SDHC cards would work for SDXC, correct?  Now, to find one of those.  The only reason I would even go that route is for weight savings and it seems like SD cards are cheaper than SS drives of the same size.  Read and write speeds are still faster than mechanical drives.