Replace your iPod's battery

Tip 2: Gather your tools

Before you get started, you'll need to acquire a new battery for your iPod and one of the following tools:

• A thin, flat-headed screwdriver (I use a 2.5-mm flat blade made by Wiha of Germany)
• PDASmart.com plastic disassembly tools
• A guitar plectrum (the hard-plastic kind, not the newer rubberised ones)

Far and away the best tool for the job is the one supplied by PDASmart because it's plastic and won't scratch or mar the original case. Since I'm of the opinion that a dent here and there adds character to an item, I just use a screwdriver. A guitar plectrum is easy to get hold of and will get the job done, but it's a pain to work with.

The iPod batteries are all standard off-the-shelf units, so it doesn't matter where you buy them. PDASmart.com and ipodbattery.com are both good sources. PDASmart.com provides both detailed instructions and the plastic disassembly tools noted above.

Before you go any further, please note that Apple did not design the iPods to be disassembled. Once they are snapped (or, in the case of the iPod Mini, glued) together, Apple essentially considers them to be a disposable item, and warranty/repair work consists of swapping the broken iPod for a new one. For the iPod hacker, this means two things:

• Opening an iPod without causing at least minimal cosmetic damage is very difficult. Before you embark on a journey into your iPod, you need to accept the fact that you're probably going to mar the case. You might get lucky, but chances are, it's going to get battered.
• If you break your iPod, you're going to pay for it. Apple charges a flat repair fee (even for the iPod Mini), and there is no source for individual parts. This hack provides very detailed instructions expressly to help you avoid any possible pitfalls with regard to damaging your iPod, but there is always a chance that the patient won't make it through surgery.

Go to TIP 3 : Replace the battery