(image from pdabuzz.com)

Palm's LifeDrive has more storage built-in than any other Palm OS PDA. Yet while users have enjoyed the roomy memory, others have faulted Palm's Mobile Manager for being a little slow (ironically, this review also says that what's being featured here is impossible to do, but it seems people have been able to pull it off). The device's reliance on a hard-disk makes it less responsive, and a hard disk consumes more power, meaning battery life is shorter.

Now that 4GB flash memory is commonplace, what if you were to replace the hard disk with a memory card? It turns out a 4GB Compact Flash Card and a 4GB MicroDrive are about the same size and connect the same way. It's a simple matter of taking out the MicroDrive, copying its contents to a 4GB CF, placing the compact flash where the hard disk was, and fooling the LifeDrive into accepting it. 1src has more details for the technically-inclined. The modded LifeDrive supposedly boasts a longer battery life, is more reliable, runs cooler, and is faster.

Some Caveats: The swap of course involves opening up the unit. So aside from having the necessary expertise (or knowing someone with that), you must have no qualms about experimenting with an expensive piece of hardware.

Thanks to Mapalad for the heads-up!