Invariably, once the iPod is apart, someone shouts, "Can I put a higher-capacity hard drive into my iPod?"

Yes, you candepending on the iPod you intend to upgrade. I have successfully transplanted the hard drive from a first-generation 10 GB iPod into the body of a first-generation 5 GB iPod. After the operation, I checked this FrankenPod's About screen, and sure enough, it thought that it was a 10 GB iPod. As you would expect, all the datamusic, playlists, calendars, and contactsworked perfectly.

You won't have this kind of luck moving the drive from a second-generation 20 GB iPod to a first- or second-generation iPod of lesser capacity unless you also use that 20 GB iPod's back case. Because the hard drive in the first 20 GB iPod is physically larger; it won't fit in the original case of an earlier iPod.

The third-generation iPod bears an entirely different form factor from the previous two generations of iPodsboth inside and outside. The hard drive in the 15 and 20 GB third-generation iPods, however, is the same dimension and weight as the 5 and 10 GB hard drives used in earlier models and is indeed swappablebut not without a degree of preparation.

The difficulty is that the drive from a third-generation iPod includes software that the earlier iPods can't comprehendthe software that allows the On-The-Go menu feature to work, for example. When you plug one of these drives into an older iPod, the older iPod displays an icon indicating that it can't find the software necessary to boot the iPod. To make the drive compatible with your old iPod, you must restore it with the iPod Software Updater appropriate for that iPod model. After you do, the iPod boots from the higher-capacity drive. Should you want to return the drive to a third-generation iPod, you must restore it with the iPod Software Updater designed for that kind of iPod.

Plunking a 30 or 40 GB drive from a third-generation iPod into an early iPod is impossible. The drive is too large to fit in the iPod's case.

PDASmart is the only company I'm aware of that sells replacement iPod hard drives and as this book goes to press, it sells only 5 and 10 GB drives for first- and second-generation iPods. Its 5 and 10 GB drives are priced at $100 and $140, respectively. (Add $10 to have PDASmart install the hard drive for you.)

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