Is it possible to put a larger hard drive into a 3G iPod 20GB? Are there any larger drives of the same dimensions out there that would work? I'm also thinking of maybe getting a faceplate from one of those rare black 3rd generations and putting it on mine. Anybody know where to get one?

The problem with these hard drives are their size. You will have a really hard time trying to find another drive. As for the dimensions, I don't know exactly which size will fit the 20GB 3G. It may be that the 40GB is now the same size as the 20 use to be. But I am doubting it. Check the dimensions on the new ipod 40GB and your 20. These drives arn't cheap either, by any means. They are probably really hard to find as well.

As for the back plate. I have never taken apart an ipod personally so I wouldn't know if its possible. But, again you need to make sure the dimensions are the same. Also, finding a back from one of these ipods might not be the easiest task either.

Best of Luck, let us know how it goes.

3G iPods are fairly easy to take apart, and there are many photo guides available online. However, I'm pretty sure the discontinued 4G iPod 40GB was just about the same size as the 3G 40GB, so that wouldn't be an option.

You might beable to find the hard drives off of ebay or something. A matter of fact a friend of mine has a extra ipod hard drive he pulled from his old iPod. If you like I can ask him the size and what not, he might sell it if I ask him nicely.

TCPMeta wrote:

That would be kick-ass. Please keep me up to date on this, and if your friend would be kind enough to give me his email address or some other way to contact him, that would be great.

I hope that image upload works... But anyway, I know what most of you are thinking: "That's just an iPod in the dark, part of the ad-scheme on the 3G iPod box." Wrong... It is that same picture, but the iPod faceplate actually IS black. There was a short while when Apple actually release black 3G iPods, and I think that was the same iterration where thwy also had 15 and 30 GB models. If anyone knows someone who has one of these rare 'Pods or knows how to obtain one (or simply the faceplate), please notify me.

Post edited by: JediJoker7169, at: 2005/08/18 03:45 /Users/JediJoker/Pictures/ipod_black.jpg

Post edited by: JediJoker7169, at: 2005/08/18 03:47

Oooh, a black iPod from Apple! Havent heard of that, but if they made it that would be cool.
I will look for one and let you know.
-maestro

Are you thinking of the U2 iPod?

yea, the u2 ipod is the only black one that I have ever heard of. It was a special edition and it has a red jog dial with the u2 band signatures laser engraved on the back.

NO, I am NOT speaking of the U2 iPod. I'm talking about the short-lived black-faced 3G iPod. The U2 is 4G, and there was never a 3G version. Now, of course, there's a 5G (Photo) version of it. But n-e-ways, just search google for "black iPod" and that ad picture from the box will come up, and you'll plainly see that it's not just "an iPod in the dark." It's black. You can't create that effect with just shadows: believe me, I've tried. And I distinctly remember these black 3Gs. They even had 'em at Fry's for a while. And does anybody have any idea why my pic won't load?

In addition, I just found in an article somewhere yesterday (I don't remember where now) that Toshiba, maker of the iPod HDs, just released a 40GB HD the same size as the current 20GB one. So I think my problem is part-way solved now. All I need to do is get my hand on one of those drives.

Post edited by: JediJoker7169, at: 2005/08/18 23:33

Here's a link to a similar article, about the same thing: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/toshiba_80gb_1-8in_hdd/

Post edited by: JediJoker7169, at: 2005/08/19 02:15