Check for Drive Compatibility

Of all the many hard drives on the market today, only a few models are iPodcompatible,
while those that work in certain kind of iPods don’t work in others.
You can divide iPod-compatible hard drives into two categories: OEM and
non-OEM drives. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. An OEM
hard drive, then, is one of the actual hard drives that Apple buys wholesale
and installs in the iPod at the factory. If you’re going to replace your iPod’s
hard drive, you might as well use the same components that Apple does,
maximizing compatibility and minimizing your headache. As you review your options, keep in mind
that you don’t have to put in the exact same hard drive that you take out. Any
OEM hard drive is as good as any other, just as long as it’s compatible with your
generation of iPod.
Non-OEM hard drives don’t come with any factory-made iPod, but they’re
compatible with the iPod nevertheless. What makes non-OEM hard drives


CAPACITY AND TYPE BRAND MODEL NUMBER COMPATIBILITY
4-gigabyte (GB) Microdrive Hitachi HMS360404D5CF00 First- and second-generation iPod mini
Seagate ST640211CF
6-GB Microdrive Hitachi HMS360606D5CF00 Released for the second-generation iPod mini, but also
Seagate ST660211CF works in the first-generation iPod mini
5-GB hard drive Toshiba MK5002MAL First- and second-generation iPods
10-GB hard drive Toshiba MK1003GAL First-, second-, and third-generation iPods
15-GB hard drive Toshiba MK1504GAL Released for the third-generation iPods, but also works in
the fourth-generation monochrome iPod
20-GB hard drive Toshiba MK2003GAH Second-generation iPod
Toshiba MK2004GAL Third- and fourth-generation monochrome iPods, iPod
photo (fourth-generation color iPod)
Toshiba MK2006GAL Fourth-generation monochrome iPod, iPod photo
(fourth-generation color iPod)
30-GB hard drive Toshiba MK3006GAL Released for the iPod photo (fourth-generation
color iPod), but also works in the fourth-generation
monochrome iPod
Toshiba MK3008GAL iPod video (fifth-generation iPod)
40-GB hard drive Toshiba MK4004GAH Third- and fourth-generation monochrome iPods, iPod
photo (fourth-generation color iPod)
Toshiba MK4006GAH Fourth-generation monochrome iPod, iPod photo
(fourth-generation color iPod)
60-GB hard drive Toshiba MK6006GAH Released for the iPod photo, but also works with the
fourth-generation monochrome iPod
Toshiba MK6008GAH iPod video (fifth-generation iPod)
80-GB hard drive Toshiba MK8010GAH iPod video (fifth-generation iPod)

desirable is their greater storage capacity. For instance, you can get 8 GB of
storage in an iPod mini by using a non-OEM hard drive, while you can bump
up your fifth-generation iPod to 100 GB. (The highest from-the-factory ratings
are 6 GB and 80 GB, respectively.) Some non-OEM hard drives are technically
iPod-compatible, but they require hacks before they’re usable.