160GB Apple TV upgrade kit from WeaKnees

[Bob Crabtree]

WeaKnees' introduction of an Apple TV 160GByte hard-disk upgrade package for $199 is no surprise but no less welcome for that.

According to WeaKnees, the drive is fully prepared and ready to go - all the buyer has to do is use the supplied tool and instructions to swap the drives over.

Apple TV

More.

[lost eden]

Of course this will completely void the warranty of the Apple TV, no? The new drive coems with a 5-year warranty, but as soon as you open up the Apple TV then you can wave goodbye to it's warranty. I hope WeaKnees makes this clear on their site.

[Bob Crabtree]

Of course this will completely void the warranty of the Apple TV, no? The new drive coems with a 5-year warranty, but as soon as you open up the Apple TV then you can wave goodbye to it's warranty. I hope WeaKnees makes this clear on their site.

Well, this is what's said up high at the start of the opening page of the instructions - which as the article points out, you can download here (184Kb PDF file - right-click to download):

A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION:

Upgrading electrical equipment of this type presents a few physical hazards. As with most consumer electronics devices, components in the AppleTV may still carry a lethal charge, even after disconnecting from your power supply. Be aware of this while working inside your AppleTV.

Allow sufficient time for discharging of components and avoid contact as much as possible with potential hazards. While we have done everything we can to provide accurate, easy-to-follow instructions, we cannot be responsible for any damage done to your AppleTV or to yourself as a result of your upgrade.

By opening your AppleTV, you agree that neither weaKnees nor any of its members or affiliates is responsible in any way for any harm done.

Please be VERY careful when upgrading. NEVER open the AppleTV while the unit is plugged in and NEVER operate the AppleTV if the lid is not securely fastened.

PLEASE NOTE: Opening the AppleTV voids the Apple warranty.

[lost eden]

Ah that's good to know, I could imagine many many angry broken Apple TV owners discovering for the first time that their warranty had been voided.

[charleski]

As anyone following the AppleTV knows, there are a host of mods available for the OS that's loaded on the factory unit. All of these rely on installing a HD which has SSH enabled so that you can talk to the OS properly from another computer. So does the Weaknees replacement HD have the stock OS installed or a modded OS that will allow people to enhance their AppleTV further? There's no mention of this on their site.

I certainly wouldn't be happy to go through the laborious process of swapping an AppleTV HD only to find that it merely contains the stock OS that I couldn't modify further.

On a related note, isn't there a legal problem here? They must be selling a HD with Apple software on it. Isn't there a licensing issue with that, or have they cleared it with Apple?

[Bob Crabtree]

Received an email from WeaKnees saying,

Thanks for posting the article about our kits. We are, actually, now shipping to the UK. Our cart doesn't handle it as-is, but if people email us, we are happy to work out the details!

I've asked the company to clarify charleski's two queries.