new ipods - rockbox port proposal

[saratoga]

Sure, as said above, LBA48 support was added ages ago.

[cormie]

I wasn't sure what lba48 support was, so you're saying that a 160GB HD can be fitted, and the full capacity recognised, with ROCKBOX loaded onto it on the H100, H300 and iPod 5.5 Video? I thought there was a problem with different connections or something?

[AlexP]

I linked to a wiki page a few posts back.  That says there are two potential problems, software and hardware.  Software is not a problem, Rockbox has the necessary software LBA48 support.

That leaves hardware:

1) Find a disk big enough with the coirrect connector, or make an adaptor for another

2)

[big disks] they're only a problem to the PC, and only if the USB-to-ATA bridge has that problem.

This problem definitely affects the Archoses, as we know. This problem probably will not affect the Software USB targets (Portalplayers, iPods included) because there is no USB-ATA bridge doohicky,  there's just our software. (Yes, I used doohicky, I hate to admit it but I like that word).

For the other targets (h100, h300, x5, m5, gigabeat, etc) I imagine it'll depend on the nature of the hardware.

[cormie]

So is it yet to be confirmed whether a 160GB HD can connect to a H300/H100/iPod 5.5 Video hardware wise, or is it known and possible/impossible?

You're talking to a complete ignoramus here with regards all the technical things. I just like my music, and lots of it, so would love to get an mp3 player with 160GB using RockBox.

[LambdaCalculus]

The iPod video won't work with the new iPod Classic's hard drives. The iPod video uses what's called a "Zero Insertion Force" connector on the hard drive, instead of a regular 50-pin connector. If you remember the old days of the NES, you may have heard of ZIF.

You could, however, use the drives in the older iPod generations, and there should be no reason why they wouldn't work in the iriver H100/H300 models.

If you want to know more about LBA and ZIF, here's some articles on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_block_addressing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Insertion_Force

[markun]

The iPod video won't work with the new iPod Classic's hard drives. The iPod video uses what's called a "Zero Insertion Force" connector on the hard drive, instead of a regular 50-pin connector. If you remember the old days of the NES, you may have heard of ZIF.

But it's possible to build an adapter:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/HardDriveReplacement#Interesting_links

[cormie]

Hmmm, so I could buy a 160GB classic and put the HD in my H140 and load rockbox onto it? Would I then be able to put my 40GB HD into the classic and sell that as a 40GB classic with scrolling album art and whatever the classic has? Would be a lot easier if the classic was rockboxable Is it definitely not rockboxable or just not yet known?

[Llorean]

I'd definitely not Rockboxable unless someone actually works on it.

[soap]

Hmmm, so I could buy a 160GB classic and put the HD in my H140 and load rockbox onto it? Would I then be able to put my 40GB HD into the classic and sell that as a 40GB classic with scrolling album art and whatever the classic has? Would be a lot easier if the classic was rockboxable Is it definitely not rockboxable or just not yet known?

Let us clear up the confusion.
The iPod Classic does not use the same HDD interface as your H140.
It might use a ZIF drive(for which you could hack a homemade adapter for your H140), but most evidence points to it using a CE-ATA drive (for which no physical adapter can be made as it is a different protocol.)

[LambdaCalculus]

No arguing with soap... I came across this on my many travels:

http://www.ifixit.com/Parts/stream/4/large/6-1.jpg

Definitely not a 50-pin connector. Looks like we may have to do some shopping.

[cormie]

Ok thanks. So as of now, there is no option to get rockbox on any 160GB hd for any device, right?

[LambdaCalculus]

If Toshiba actually did design 1.8" hard drives of this capacity with 50-pin connectors, then we could. But buying an iPod Classic to gut it is now most definitely out of the question without some serious hardware hacking.

[Walrus]

And of course, just as with the 80 gig ipods, no other company will bother putting out a similarly-sized player to compete with Apple.    

[cormie]

And of course, just as with the 80 gig ipods, no other company will bother putting out a similarly-sized player to compete with Apple.    

Why do you think that is? Do you not reckon iRiver/Cowon/Creative would have a loyal following and could get a lot of attention>sales if they did? There's more competition in the lower capacity market so surely some competition in the higher capacity market would get the competitors some sales? Is it really that hard to just release a 160GB player that's rockboxable with good sound quality and battery life? I mean the H140 slimmed down and given a 160GB HD would, for me, be the perfect MP3 player.

[TexasRockbox]

Archos has a 605 model with 160GB offered.