“Few gadgets inspire the fervor and devotion of Apple’s iPod. Owners of the digital music player do not simply see the iPod as a convenient way to listen to 50 Cent and Coldplay. They view the iPod as one of life’s essentials, and they act accordingly, spending millions of dollars on iPod accessories,” Allan Hoffman reports for Newhouse News Service.
“The ‘iPod economy,’ as it has been dubbed, is unusual because of the ’emotional attachment’ people feel toward their iPods, says Richard Doherty, research director at the Envisioneering Group, a market research firm in Seaford, N.Y. Those emotions translate into revenue for the scores of companies churning out iPod add-ons, from leather cases to speaker systems. According to Envisioneering’s research, iPod owners typically spend half the price of an iPod on accessories,” Hoffman reports.
“And it is at the center of a craze with no signs of abating. Consider this: In the last quarter of 2004, Apple shipped 4.5 million iPods — a 525 percent increase from a year earlier. And that was before the company introduced the iPod shuffle, Apple’s least-expensive music player, starting at $99. Already, companies have announced or begun to sell accessories for the shuffle, like the Clips, from PodBuddy (at $20), a set of special clips to attach the device to clothing, bags, belts and jackets,” Hoffman reports. “Cases rank as the most popular iPod accessory. Just visit the gear guide at iPodlounge, a Web publication for iPod fans, and you will see scores of them available, with names like iPod Armor, iShield and SportSuit Convertible.”
Full article here.
I must be the only person who actually likes my iPod to be “naked.”
Why isn’t there any of this shit for my Dell DJ?
Why would you want to use a Dell DJ? What is that?
Personally I am not into iPod jackets, covers, cases, etc. However I would recommend certain peripherals as essentials to any self-respecting iPod owner.
First of all, figure out a way to listen to the device in the car. For FM transmission nothing beats the DLO TransPod.
Second, buy another pair of headphones. The included headphones are fine for casual listening but the iPod is capable of so much better sound than what most people experience. The Etymotic ER-6i in-ear headphones ‘do it’ for me.
Third, if you have multiple stereos at home, get a dock for each one. The line-out signal from the back of the dock is better than the signal from the headphone port. For travelling I recommend the SendStation PocketDock which has FireWire and line-out ports.
Last, but not least, get a Mac to synchronise with your iPod. With a Mac the iPod’s full potential can be reached. Contacts and calendars can only be copied to the iPod with the iSync software which is Mac-only. Of course, macDailNews readers allready know this.
I don’t go for all the belts, and cases, etc. But I love the various plug-n technologies such as Griffin’s iTalk and iTrip, Boise speakers, etc. They just make the iPod so much more, and they’re totally habit changing.
Personally, I have better luck with Pocatello speakers; Boise speakers sound sorta boomy…
[sorry, couldn’t resist]
Other than an iSkin to protect it and better headphones, my iPod is woefully un-accessorized.
WAHOO I WANT AN IPOD REALLY BADLY!!
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