Hi,

on other sites i've read about an iPod-mod with the 5G/5.5G iPod video. They replaced the harddrive with a Compact Flash Card. So i gave it a try and guess what, it works!

I've bought a CF to 1,8" ZIF adapter and asked a friend for a 1GB CF card. Opening the iPod was done fast as well as the replacement of the harddrive with the CF card and adapter. After the start, the iPod tells me to connect the iPod to iTunes. iTunes tells me it has found an corrupted iPod and asks to restore the iPod. After doing this the iPod restarts and voila the iPod works.

Ok, the capacity of 1GB is nothing compared to the classical harddrives of the iPod Video. But, the 1GB CF card was just a test, actually you can get 64GB CF cards.

CF cards are shock resistant, have no mechanical part in it (Microdrives doesn't count, as they are not really on the market anymore ;-) ), they don't need that much energy like a harddrive. A CF card might be more expensive than a normal harddisk, but much cheaper than a 1,8" ZIF SSD with the same size. Only real disadvantage, the write cycles are limited.

As my HDD still works fine, i will wait for my HDD to die an than buy a CF card.