Well you finally broke down and purchased an iPod. It's hip and you just adore how user friendly it is, how good its sound quality is, all the room on it for music and audio books, and the added option of using it as a flash drive. What? Are you saying you didn't realize it was made for storing things other than music? Hey, pretend it's a data CD, open it in your computer, and then do the famous drag and drop move, dude.

Using iPod accessories, you can do even more with your iPod. However, with all of the choices that come up when you search the internet for "iPod accessories,"how do you find the right ones? How can you find the iPod add ons and replacement parts that you want, and how do you determine whether an item is compatible with the device you own? The best test is to try including your iPod's specific model name and generation in your search.

You may be wondering what you can buy. The only truly replaceable parts of the iPod are the screen, the battery, and the headphones. You should only replace the screen or the battery if they break, and don't forget to check your warranty--if it is still in effect, you can send the iPod back to it's manufacturer to have it repaired. When it comes to headphones, however, you can purchase a set that will really improve the iPod's sound quality, and in general you get what you pay for, to a point. Be wary of sites that promise seemingly impossible sound improvements, because these are often too good to be true.

There are many kinds of iPod accessories available. These include arm ban holders that you can wear during workouts, protective skins made from silicon rubber or leather, and nearly-invisible plastic films that protect the device from scratches. For years companies have offered speaker docking stations, allowing iPod owners to turn their device into a stereo system. Even car companies are following this trend, creating cars that include connections designed just for the iPod.

And don't forget the bevy of ready-made electronic add ons from mileage trackers for runners to DJ mixing tables. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a GPS receiver, though. Oddly, the best place to see the quality stuff is in the manufacturer's website store, though you may want to price-compare with other places on the net before you commit yourself to buying. You might even stumble upon something cool.

Would you like to discover a strange new world of electronics? Do an Internet search for "iPod hacking." You will find our strange things like how to replace the operating system of an iPod with something else, and ways to replace parts of the inside that will make major improvements in the sound quality. Your warranty will be void if you start messing around, so don't take chances unless you know what you are doing. Have fun and be careful!