News
New hack brings iPod touch-like interface to iPod 5G
By Charles Starrett
Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Thursday, December 20, 2007
News Category: iPod
A new firmware hack for fifth-generation iPods aims to bring an iPod touch-like interface to the player. The hack, which works on both 5 and 5.5G iPods, is unsupported by Apple, but the developers claim the firmware “cannot, and will not, brick your iPod.” Installation of the firmware requires iPodWizard 1.3.0.7, a Windows-only iPod utility. The hack adds icons from the iPod touch’s home menu to the main menu of the iPod, along with music icons at the bottom of the music menu, rearranged menus, and updated graphics, including an iPhone and iPod touch-like Now Playing screen. The firmware is available now as a free download.
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1
4G?
Posted by otaku on December 20, 2007 at 7:20 AM (PDT)
2
What about for iPod Classic (80 GB)???
Posted by Dan on December 20, 2007 at 9:15 AM (PDT)
3
Works great with 5.5G so far. Too bad it can’t replicate cover flow.
Posted by tommy on December 20, 2007 at 12:31 PM (PDT)
4
Can you please show some screenshots?
Posted by Dan on December 20, 2007 at 12:57 PM (PDT)
5
Better yet, can anyone upload a video to youTube of the interface running?
I didn’t installed the previous Classic hack to mi 5.5 because it was somewhat laggy…
Posted by Arturo Lugo on December 20, 2007 at 1:19 PM (PDT)
6
no camera…sorry
Posted by tommy on December 20, 2007 at 2:35 PM (PDT)
7
The server is down.
Posted by Sam on December 20, 2007 at 4:00 PM (PDT)
8
The server is back up. I downloaded the firmware and I have to say, pretty snazzy. It doesn’t run completely smooth, but it still works wonderfully. Still doesn’t beat having a real iPod Touch, though.
Posted by Adam on December 20, 2007 at 6:02 PM (PDT)
9
I reluctantly went ahead and installed it. It works great, though the menu bar can load slow sometimes. If work is advanced a even just a little bit more it will be perfect. I put “iPod” with the faded reflection on the right side of the main menu since it’s all black.
Posted by ddsd on December 20, 2007 at 7:37 PM (PDT)
10
Ugh, this hack looks great, but the installer is Windows only? Um…why?
Posted by Paul S. on December 20, 2007 at 11:46 PM (PDT)
11
Bring on the Mac version. It looks like a cool hack. Also, can you remove the hack if you want to go back to the old menu?
Posted by Shelly Z on December 21, 2007 at 3:45 PM (PDT)
12
Hi guys,
I was one of the developers to work on this. I think it’s great that iLounge found and posted this =)
If you are a Mac owner, you can try alterpod. I have never used it and therefore I cannot help you should something go amiss. But if you’re willing, you can try it. A Mac version of iPW is currently underway in development, but I have no idea when it will be released.
I may post a YouTube video later.
Thank you all!
Posted by bounci.rabbit.123 on December 21, 2007 at 8:29 PM (PDT)
13
To Shelly Z, yes. After you do this if you open iTunes it will ask you if you would like to update to the newest firmware for the 5.5G and 5G iPod. I believe you can restore the firmware this way without wiping your iPod clean. Another way that I know will work is to extract the iPod’s firmware before you actually modify it. That way, if you do something wrong, you can just rewrite the firmware to your iPod and it will be just as before. I recommend reading up on this before you actually try it. I had to restore my iPod twice before I realized you could easily remove the modifications.
Posted by ddsd on December 21, 2007 at 10:28 PM (PDT)
14
i have a mac and a windows, but i used my ipod on my mac. can i change the firmware with ipodwizard on my windows computer but then continue to update music and everything on my mac?
Posted by willie on December 23, 2007 at 4:36 PM (PDT)
15
Looks pretty cool. I sold my 5G, I probably should have kept it to do some tinkering around with things like this.
Posted by germansuplex on December 25, 2007 at 11:02 AM (PDT)
16
A little late, but I’m about to upload a video of this.
Posted by iStuffzz on December 26, 2007 at 11:39 PM (PDT)
17
video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eRXpNbUOvP4
Posted by iStuffzz on December 27, 2007 at 12:20 AM (PDT)
18
Downloaded it, tried it out for 5 minutes, restored my iPod. The loading screens, volume, shuffle, repeat, etc.. icons are scratchy and not smooth. Album art is sliced to 3/4 on screen.
Definitely needs a lot of working on, and I rate it a 2/10.
Posted by deathstar on December 31, 2007 at 11:29 PM (PDT)
19
Hey if i hack my ipod 5g video will i be able to undo it and will there be any side affects.
(So my ipod 5g video will become touch screen?)
Posted by Daniel on January 14, 2008 at 3:05 AM (PDT)