What I learned modding an iPod Mini, part one
Because I am a sucker for a fun little gadget, and I have this whole philosophy about single-purpose devices being more thoughtful for everyday use than a phone, I picked up an iPod Mini off eBay. They're not that expensive, and actually cheaper than a lot of modern MP3 players (or DAPs, if you're a Reddit-browsing audio nerd). Cheap, cheerful, incredibly functional, and there's a bunch of pretty low-cost mods you can do to bring them into the 2020s. However, my experience--so far, at least--has been fairly rough, and there's a lot of things you probably won't glean from videos and Reddit. This isn't really a build guide, more supplemental tips.
It's entirely possible for your iPod to look fine when you first get it, but the OS is actually completely screwed up.
I got my iPod from a refurber who puts in new compact flash cards and batteries, but something must have gone wrong in the process. The OS was displaying 0 GB of storage and the hard drive test errored out immediately. When I connected it to my laptop, iTunes gave me a popup about the OS being corrupted and needing a restore--alright, fair enough. And then it started bootlooping. Shit.
CF adapters are rare, even among techies. Just buy one
And so began my hunt for a USB Compact Flash adapter. I go to an engineering school with so many nerds, so you'd think someone would have one, right? Apparently not. I checked every workshop, every makerspace, university IT, even the art club (since they do photography and cameras were one of the big uses of CF cards). Not one had an adapter. Unless you know for a fact someone you know has one, just get one online.
There's a few different types of CF-to-SD adapters
At least according to folks on Reddit, the big ones are the iFlash adapter (excellent, works every time) and the "sketchy red adapter" (hit-or-miss, really cheap). The one I ended up getting was a secret third thing: blue. This one is a safer bet, but not foolproof, according to this guide I found (insert link here)
...but you can fix the sketchy red adapters
Apparently the sketchy red adapters failing has something to do with the file system. There's a whole thing with getting a partition manager, rebuilding the MBR, restoring the iPod, then when it's almost done initiating the rebuild? I'll link the video here (insert link here). If you're looking to save a few bucks, might be worth a look.
The screws are pretty easy to strip
Looking at the hardware, it's actually one of the easiest devices I've ever repaired. Stick a blade under the top and bottom bezels and snap them out, use a screwdriver to unclip the bottom plate, unscrew the top plate, slide everything out the top. Buuuut. On mine, the screws were stripped to high hell. The rubber band trick didn't work, nor did superglue, nor did a Torx bit or a flathead bit. I ended up having to go to my university's electronics workshop and using a drill press with a tiny tiny drill bit to drill it out.
Sometimes, the whole thing can just refuse to work
So. Screws drilled out, logic board revealed, CF-to-SD adapter in, everything. I plug it in, and.... Nothing. And then it starts looping between connecting and disconnecting from my laptop. In the few seconds it stays connected, it still displayed as only having 4 gig of storage. Ugh. I ended up shipping it back to the eBay seller for a replacement, still waiting on it to get there and for them to ship me a new one.
Be careful about the click wheel ribbon cable
And as I was reassembling it, I found something that made my heart drop: the ribbon cable, somehow, got torn in half. I can't find a single replacement for just the cable. iDemigods apparently has one, but it's out of stock right now and according to Reddit it has been for a while. Replacement click wheels on eBay cost more than I paid for the entire iPod. The best advice I can find is "just find a junk iPod and loot the click wheel." I hope the iPod seller doesn't have any issue with that, since the logic board on this iPod might just be totally screwed anyhow.
And yet, I persist
Because I REALLY want a working iPod, I'm still pursuing this. Seriously, iPods are still probably the best option for an MP3 player, even 20+ years after release. I'm just waiting on the dude to ship me a replacement that hopefully works.