# Apple iPod Classic

18 Hacker News commenters recommended Apple iPod Classic and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its simple, polished interface and easy modding with Rockbox, SD cards and SSDs. Critics say the display is dated and finding specific tracks is hard.

## Why people recommend it

- Easy to mod and upgrade (4 comments): "The only option that I could find was an iPod classic, modded with an SD card and better battery." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46738475)) "For just mp3 and podcasts: get an iPod Classic (or Video) and install Rockbox." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48251346)) "I use a frankenstein-d iPod classic with rockbox, bluetooth mod, and an SSD." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45820480))
- Simple, polished interface without gatekeeping (3 comments): "the true advantage of the iPod Classic was a matter of polish and UX" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46735505)) "it is basically drag and drop without Apple's gatekeeping" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46652094)) "so few simple but beautiful products" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49938653))
- Fun, nostalgic device to use (2 comments): "I've even gotten my old iPod Classic out of mothballs and started messing around with it. So much fun!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46518695)) "Fun devices that make me nostalgic for the era that got me into programming." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48592139))

## What people warn about

- Repairs are tough and costly (2 comments): "glued the short ribbon cable for the screen to the front of the iPod classic" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49128756)) "it has been a tough repair so I have spent approximately 100 euros on it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49882403))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Apple iPod](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipod.md): 102 recommend
- [Sony MiniDisc player](https://hackerapproved.com/p/minidisc.md): 40 recommend
- [Sony Walkman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sony-walkman.md): 20 recommend
- [SanDisk Sansa Clip+](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sansa-clip-plus.md): 7 recommend
- [Apple iPod Shuffle](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipod-shuffle.md): 7 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Apple+iPod+classic+6th+generation&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Apple iPod Classic", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipod-classic/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).