Operation Ipod Battery

* updated : industrial design wiki

I have 2 iPods - the first, I bought back in 2004 (I think...dah tak ingat), and it was an end-of-line model; officially it's the 3rd Generation Ipod with a whopping 20gb capacity. At the time I didn't even look at the iPod due to the cost, but when I saw it at the computer fair in PWTC, I was tempted and so bought one. And I've never regretted it once!

I bought my 2nd iPod in 2006 - a 5th Generation iPod, with a 30gb capacity. I transferred all our songs (about 3,000 or so) into the new iPod, and it has since accompanied me everywhere I go (it's in my office bag)

The main reason I upgraded was that my second iPod can play videos and show pics; essential as I wanted to back up my pictures into a digital wallet. Further, my first iPod had a chronic battery problem - it would die after 20-30 minutes (which was expected, as a lot of the 3rd Generation iPod's complained of the same thing), but functionally it was still good. I had bought a Logitech mm50 micro speakers to house the iPods, and it was a great way for Ckn to use it at home as a cute music centre.

So to ensure that we can get the most out of our first iPod, I did a little project with Ckn - we changed it's batteries! It was no mean feat, and it involves ordering a new high capacity battery from Brando Hong Kong (my fave online shop!), 2 plastic flat-top screw thingys, a real _metal_ flat top screwdriver, fingernails and patience.

Why so many tools? well, if you've seen an iPod then you'll know that it has a nice flush appearance; there's no visible screws holding everything in place and everything's hidden. Therefore, some prying was needed. Took us some effort too, as the instructions were not very clear, and the plastic tools were nearly useless! But with a little preserverence and the metal screwdriver (with a little TLC) plus Ckn's ideas, we finally managed to open up the iPod casing...

Here you can see the ipod's innards in all its glory. The blue rubber on the left is the shock absorber for the tiny hard drive. You can also see both the new and old batteries. Even naked like this, I'm just amazed at the wonders of industrial design! Following the instructions, I then proceeded to replace the battery and promptly closed the case and rebooted the iPod (and held my breath) - it worked! hooray!!

One slight hiccup though at this stage. Despite my careful planning, I had inadvertently re-inserted the old battery into the iPod; I guess excitement took over ...and I felt like a right idiot! oh well, had to call Ckn again (can't blame that she was annoyed!) and we repeated the process again, only now making doubly sure which battery to insert!! Hooray (genuine one this time!)