[Ratm]

Original 5 Gig iPod

Man I remember when I first bought this version. I loved it so much. What Seal was talking about when he said "Do you remember the first time when you got your first walkman, that feeling you got" Yes!!! That's the feeling. The iPods of that time (to me) were of such better quality—I like the ones now but there's nothing like the first—that it became apart of my life. Just scroll around and click and you're listing to your music! For the first time I had all the songs I wanted with me and I wasn't fumbling around with CDs. It was teh greatness. It still is and hopefully Apple can remake history with a new media device.



(I miss firewire )

[analogika]

I feel the same way about my 60-gig iPod w/ video.

[vmarks]

the first gen ipods had a few problems:

fragile headphone/remote jacks- the plastic would break and you could no longer use the remote.

fragile solder joints on the firewire port- there was no strain relief, so over time people pulled the port loose just by using it as intended.

the bearing in the scroll wheel had to be re-greased to restore the original feel of the wheel- otherwise it became too loose and would adjust volume with the slightest breath on it.

[Ratm]

Dude...you're bringing me down.

[Pendergast]

I still have the 10 gig.

If I had not fell on it in a crazy bike accident, 1.5 year ago, it would probably work great.

[zerostar]

I still use my 5 gig everyday, my headphone port broke but I don't use the remote anyway, the wheel is very loose, how do you go about re-greasing it? My firewire port works just fine though.

[spiky_dog]

pressing towards the back of the ipod on both sides of the wheel + the menu button tightens up the wheel a bit...

[hardcat1970]

Originally Posted by vmarks

the first gen ipods had a few problems:

fragile headphone/remote jacks- the plastic would break and you could no longer use the remote.

fragile solder joints on the firewire port- there was no strain relief, so over time people pulled the port loose just by using it as intended.

the bearing in the scroll wheel had to be re-greased to restore the original feel of the wheel- otherwise it became too loose and would adjust volume with the slightest breath on it.

my first generation died because of the fragile firewire port. Just like you said. Otherwise, i believe it has the best touch and feel.

[vmarks]

go to the auto parts store and buy wheel bearing grease in a tub.

put masking tape across the scroll wheel and use the tape to remove the wheel

you're now looking at the silver metal bearing in the center. use finger or popsicle stick to pack grease into it. keep doing it until grease won't go in anymore. use q-tip (cotton swab) to clean up.

put wheel and center select button back on.

[vmarks]

I've done the wheel re-grease, the firewire port re-solder, and can replace the broken headphone jacks.

I've also revived dead 3g and 4g.

http://victormarks.com/listing/ipod/

[G4ME]

still use mine almost daily in my car. Remember the day i scored it to and how i never put it down for a good 2 weeks.

My 40 gig on the other hand has a few dead spots on the scroll wheel, so its a little bit of pain to use.

[JoshuaZ]

I just gave my 10 GIG to my parents as an xmas gift, with a new battery installed as well. Served me fine for three years. Now I bought a video. Hand me down tech is a nice gift.

[IFLY2HIGH]

My old 10 gig model is still working today as well...

[phantomdragonz]

I used a 5gig one up until christmas... now I have a Black 30gig ipod video!

The video is DAMN crisp!

Zach

[Kr0nos]

Originally Posted by vmarks

fragile solder joints on the firewire port- there was no strain relief, so over time people pulled the port loose just by using it as intended.

Unfortunately this happened to me. It rendered the iPod nearly useless (eventhough the battery was still doing quite alright).

I polished it up and put it back to it's final resting place in the original box. RIP.

/It's pretty cool though to have had the first model made, at a time when people thought that nobody would ever buy one, and Apple had a real "loser" on it's hands.

Little did they know...

[milhous]

vmarks knows the story well--i needed his help with fixing the solder points on the remote and firewire port on my original 5g iPod.

sadly, the firewire port has once again gotten loose as i can get the ipod to charge, but not sync without having to ever so slightly jiggle the cable for the sync to work. i haven't been actively using it for several months.

because of the delicate soldering of the firewire port, i think that the thick gauge firewire cables that i've been using are partly to blame for this as they're placing excessive stress and tension to the firewire port. the thinner firewire cables would probably help immensely.

it would be nice to get a new iPod, but I think the money can be better spent elsewhere and with minimal investment in new parts and a new battery, it can be back in full operation.

long live the original 5g iPod!

[Jens Peter]

Originally Posted by vmarks

the first gen ipods had a few problems:

fragile headphone/remote jacks- the plastic would break and you could no longer use the remote.

Mine have this problem - and my headphones must be at a very excact position before I can hear the music.... But could this be fixed - by replacing the headphone-jack ? And is it difficult ?

[analogika]

yes, and yes.

[zerostar]

Originally Posted by Jens Peter

Mine have this problem - and my headphones must be at a very excact position before I can hear the music.... But could this be fixed - by replacing the headphone-jack ? And is it difficult ?

try this, cut out a "washer" the size of the headphone hole and the size needed to insert a plug, for me this was all I needed to keep the jack in the proper position, even when jogging, I think I used a piece of plastic the thickness of about a jewel case

Here is a crude drawing:


When it worked i finally super-gluded it to the ipod, I can no longer use the remote but the audio plays perfect and does not "crackle" when you jiggle it.

/mad ps skillz

[EnemyTerritoryish]

My 5 gig ipod still works great, except it has no HD. I accidentally killed it, and getting another HD was way too expensive. Now i have a 15 gig 3rd gen, but I might swap the drive back into the original ipod, as I prefer the button layout and REAL scroll wheel to the stupid circular buttons and touch wheel. The firewire port did loosen up, but I used a $5 radioshack soldering iron and fixed it pretty easily. My headphone jack is still fine.

[Sarc]

great link, thx.

[Kenneth]

My 10GB iPod (Aug/2002) is still working great. I still have it and the whole packaging here.

However, I'm currently using the 60GB iPod (5G).

Bring back memory. Who still remember the first iPod TV ad?

[Dark Helmet]

Shiller is such a full of **** idiot.

At any rate my sisters first gen had all of the problems mentioned above. She used it till I got her a Nano a few months ago, her boyfriend inherited the old one.

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by zerostar

try this, cut out a "washer" the size of the headphone hole and the size needed to insert a plug, for me this was all I needed to keep the jack in the proper position, even when jogging, I think I used a piece of plastic the thickness of about a jewel case

Here is a crude drawing:


When it worked i finally super-gluded it to the ipod, I can no longer use the remote but the audio plays perfect and does not "crackle" when you jiggle it.

/mad ps skillz

I'll have to try that.

Also, nice drawing. Your iPod needs a happy face.

[Tenacious Dyl]

I had the first model when it first came out. No one locally had really ever seen one. Had it for a few months and something happened internally while loading music, Apple replaced it with the same model (brand new iPod though, they didn't repair my broken one) and that one still works fine to this day. No headphone jack problems, no FW port problems, and the wheel is just dandy. The battery is a little elderly, but really not much worse! Just got an iPod nano though, and prefer it for the short trips.

[36days]

Thought this topic was about a hacker who got video to work on his original 5Gig. :/

[vmarks]

If you're going to glue a washer on to the headphone jack, I would not use a metal one, I think I would get a delrin or nylon washer. Plastic to plastic bonds better, and you don't have to worry about conductivity.

Replacement headphone jacks are available, and it's not impossible to replace that part.

[OreoCookie]

Same here, happened twice: first time three years ago when I got my 20 gig 2nd gen iPod: THE biggest iPod ever made

Second time two weeks ago when I got my iPod nano: hmmm.