iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

Appendix C. iStuff: Gadgets for Your iPod

Just as the original iMac’s unique rounded shape and Bondi blue plastic case inspired hundreds of brightly colored add-ons from other companies back in the late 1990s, the iPod has similarly energized the MP3 player accessories market. Online and in stores, you can find dozens of iPod-themed add-ons created to protect, enhance, and improve your iPodding adventures.

This chapter looks at some of the things you can buy to go with your iPod and where to find them—from a waterproof case to keep out the rain to an attachment that turns your iPod into a storage locker for digital photos.

That’s right: you can now buy gadgets for your gadget.

Where to Shop

Since the iPod’s arrival in 2001, its accessories market has been growing by leaps and bounds, and there are several online iPod superstores around now with a huge selection of merchandise, from stylish cases to snap-on FM radios. If you want to see what’s out there without even having to leave your desk, the bigger Podfocused Web shops include:

• The Apple Store (http://store.apple.com). Apple has pages and pages of products for all its iPod offspring, with easy ordering if you already have an Apple ID and credit card on file with the company from previous iPod and iTunes purchases.

• Everything iPod (http://www.everythingipod.com). One of the first iPod shops to open its virtual doors, Everything iPod sells a wide variety of gadgets, from car chargers to the iBoom box (Section C.7.1). The site also ...