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.

You can do a lot with an iPod, but some of it requires iPod accessories. Just searching the internet for "ipod accessories" leaves you with millions of choices. So, how do you find the good stuff? How do you find iPod add ons and iPod replacement parts? And how do you know if the stuff you buy is compatible with your hardware? Here's the acid test: search for the model name and generation of your iPod when looking for your iPod accessories.

But what can you buy? For replacement parts, only the screen, battery, and headphones are really replaceable. You'll only want to replace the first two if they break (and if they break while the warrantee is still going strong, send the iPod back to the manufacturer for repair). New headphones can make a world of difference in the sound quality of your iPod, and to a point you get what you pay for. Beware audiophile garbage sites that suggest stuff that's up there with mystic incantations to improve sound, though.

There are just tons of additions for your iPod currently. There are holders that fasten onto your upper arm, to be used while you exercise, protective covers of various materials to prevent damage if it is dropped, and transparent covers that guard against scratching. For a long time, businesses have sold speakers that you can use to make your iPod play like a stereo. Now, you can even play your iPod in the car with the appropriate connection!

There are also plenty of choices of electronic add ons, whether you want to track your mileage during your daily run or use a DJ mixing table. One notable gap in the variety of products on offer--no GPS receiver! You can surprisingly often find the best stuff on the manufacturer's website, although it's always a good idea to do some price comparison before you purchase, as you might even find something better.

If you really want to immerse yourself in a strange world of electronic culture, search for "iPod hacking." You'll learn weird stuff like how to replace the basic operating system of the iPod with something more geek friendly, and how to replace parts of the innards to make dramatic changes in sound quality. It's not for everyone, and it's all guaranteed to void your warrantee. Have fun, but be careful.

For more information on IPOD accessories try visiting http://all-things-ipod.info, a website that specializes in providing helpful ipod tips, advice and resources to include and more.