Amidst the wide range of iPod accessories offered by others, don't overlook Apple's own corps of add-ons.

[To go to the main page for Digital Music Revolution coverage, please click here.]

First off, while the iPod has relied on FireWire to sync up with computers and transfer files, most Windows PCs ship with USB, which in recent vintage PCs is USB 2.0 (a/k/a "USB High Speed"). To accommodate Windows users, Apple offers a $19 USB 2.0-FireWire combo cable for the latest generation iPods. At one end is the iPod dock connector, from which two wires extend, one leading to a FireWire plug, the other to a USB plug.

You connect the dock connector to your iPod or iPod docking station, attach the iPod's AC adaptor to the FireWire cable and plug in it to charge your iPod while the USB line goes to your PC for file transfers. The chunkiness of this arrangement is because the iPod cannot draw charging power from your PC via USB. However, it works.

As noted elsewhere, I strongly recommend that unless you are totally paranoid about opening up your PC, you invest in a FireWire card for at least the primary PC with with you will sync your iPod because of FireWire works better for large multimedia file transfers than USB 2.0. If you have a notebook, you don't even have open anything -- FireWire can be added through a slip-in PC Card.

Still, although the price of FireWire cards is modest, it would add up if you need to add the capability to multiple computers. Plus you never know when you need to work with a USB-only PC. The combo cable, thus, is a sensible investment for Windows iPod users.

Another useful package is Apple's $80 iPod Stereo Connection Kit with Monster Cable.

This bundle gives you an extra iPod docking cradle, cable, and AC power adapter, plus a Monster Cable stereo miniplug-to-RCA connector cable.

You set up the dock and iPod cable in the normal fashion, except the cable goes to the AC adaptor for charging rather than to a PC for file transfer. The miniplug end of the Monster Cable goes into the dock's output jack, the RCA connectors go into your home stereo's input jacks. And there you have it.

It is a great deal -- think of it as getting the docking station and power adapter for 10 bucks off, with the iPod and Monster cables thrown in for free. It makes sense to buy the bundle even if you are planning to hook up your iPod to powered speakers and will use the speakers' cables instead of the Monster. Throw in a TenTechnolgies NaviPod remote control for your iPod and you have full stereo component convenience.

Having the extra connection kit is much more convenient than having to do the hookup every time you want to play your iPod on your stereo.

Of course, this begs the question of why you would want to use your iPod with the stereo since, presumably, the stereo would play the CDs from which you ripped your iPod files in the first place. In that one circumstance, it might not make sense. But if you have been shopping at the iTunes Music Store connecting your iPod would be the easiest way to play your downloaded music on your home system. Moreover, between its playlists and multiple options for setting the sequences for playing files, the iPod can be more convenient than most CD players and changers.

Lastly, for those of you who really want to shut out the outside world, Apple offers a $40 pair of In-Ear Headphones.

Or to be more precise, stick-it-in-your ear phones. The standard iPod ear buds are disks that rest in your ear lobe; the in-ear phones are plugs that fit into your ear canal. They come with three different sized caps to give you some options for a proper fit.

Admittedly, I am not the absolutely best person to ask about this. I prefer conventional over-the-ear headphones and only grudgingly will accept ear buds. I am not comfortable with the in-ear style, but I am in the distinct minority there. The earplug design is the most effective for shutting out external noise so you can hear your music more clearly (and need not crank up the volume as high).

Apple's plugs sounded fine to me and did their job. The price is low for units of this type. If you ride noisy buses and subways, do a lot of air travel, or just simply want to listen to your iPod while your roommate is watching TV or playing a stereo, the in-ear phones are the way to go.

(c) 2004 Al Gordon.

In addition to his computer interests, Al Gordon is a principal in the Boston-area strategic consulting firm, Mary Fifield Associates, www.maryfifieldassociates.com

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You can reach Al Gordon at:

al@tnpcnewsletter.com

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