Four Gift Ideas for the iPod Fanatic on Your List

By Scott Nesbitt - Sunday, November 18, 2007

The iPod is arguably the most popular MP3 player around. And with good reason: it's attractive, compact, easy to use, and comes in a variety of sizes. While the iPod, even years after its debut, is still a popular Christmas gift, what happens when you have a happy iPodder on your gift list this holiday season? Well, this TechTip offers a few suggestions.

Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

noise-cancelling earbuds, instead.

The earbuds are smaller, and they block out less noise. But they're light, very portable, and can do a great job. Sennheiser sells what many audiophiles consider the gold standard in noise-cancelling headphones -- the company's wares can block out between 75% and 90% of all external noise. But Sennheiser's CX 300 earbuds aren't anything to sneeze at, either. While they're not as powerful as the top-line headphones, the CX 300 do a decent jobs of cancelling out noise. But, like its bigger siblings, the CX 300 earbuds can be pricey.

Another good, and slightly cheaper, choice for noise-cancelling earbuds are the ANR-15 buds from Turtle Beach. The ANR-15 has an actual noise-cancelling unit between the earbuds and the connector that goes into the iPod. While it's not as efficient as the buds from Sennheiser, the ANR-15 easily blocks out most of the noise that an urban iPodder will encounter each day.

iPod Docks

If your iPodder has a nice mix on their player, then they might want to share it with friends at a party. Or, if they live in a school dorm or an apartment with limited space, then why not give them a gift that turns the iPod into a stereo system? You can do this with an iPod dock. Just plug the player into the dock, and music comes out of the speakers. (if the speakers are included)

The RA-P11 Portable Audio System from JVC looks a lot like a small portable stereo. But it has a number of interesting features, including an FM tuner and a room thermometer. It also runs off either six AA batteries or an AC adapter. Oh, yeah, the RA-P11 also plays iPod play lists and can also charge the device while it's docked.

The Bose SoundDock is expensive, but if you want to give your iPodder a solid dock then this is the one. It's small, light, and portable but offers some of the clearest sound available. The SoundDock also supports most models of iPods -- including the Nano, Video, and Classic.

Another good bet is the Kensington Entertainment Dock. This product not only lets you play audio through a stereo, but also streams photos and video from your iPod to your TV. And it works with older and newer iPods so the person on your list can extend the life of their player with this device.

Protective Cases

In the course of everyday use, the average iPod is going to get knocked around a bit. They're fairly robust little devices -- a knock or a drop generally doesn't hurt the innards of an iPod. But it's easy to scratch the casing or the screen. That opens the door to a great gift idea: the iPod protective case.

A company called Frogz makes silicone rubber cases for various models of the iPod. The cases are tough, durable, and yet have a nice feel to them. More importantly, though, they look good and do a great job of protecting iPods from everyday bangs and bumps.

If you're serious about protecting your iPodder's investment, then turn to Matias Armor. Aimed at Classic and 3rd Generation iPods, the company's products are aluminum cases the fit over the players. But they offer easy access to an iPod's controls. The Matias Armor cases are tough, surprisingly stylish, and do a great job of protecting their contents with additional interior padding. The cases also come with a neck band and a belt clip.

Of course, if you want to give somewhat more unobtrusive protection, check out offerings from Contour Design. This company sells clear shells which snap around an iPod. The cases are made of polycarbonate, which is very tough and resists scratches. But the Contour Design cases also give easy access to an iPod's scroll wheel and connectors.

Music

Without something to play, an iPod is just an expensive piece of plastic. So, give your iPodder some music. All iPod owners know about Apple's iTunes Store, but that's not the only game in town. Good, often low-cost, music can be had elsewhere.

If you live in the United States, then check out Amazon.com which has introduced an MP3 download service. There are literally tens of thousands of tunes available in high-quality MP3 format. You can buy individual tracks off of an album, or the entire album. Cost? Ninety-nine cents per track. Best of all, there's no DRM applied to the music. Your iPodder is free to listen to and copy the files.

If your iPodder's tastes lie a little outside of the mainstream or you want to expand their musical palette, then pay CDBaby.com a visit. The bulk of this retailer's offerings are on CD, by indie artists -- most of whom you've probably never heard of. But many artists also offer MP3 downloads. You'll have to download the whole album, and the prices range from around $10 to $13 dollars. You can, however, preview the tracks before buying them. There's no DRM and most of the money goes directly to the artist.

Speaking of which, why not cut out the middleman entirely and buy directly from the artists themselves. In late 2007, the band Radiohead famously announced that it would be offering its latest album for download, and letting the buyers set the price. A bold move, and not one that all artists are bound to follow. But a growing number of acts do offer their music for sale and download from the Web. Check the official sites of your iPodder's favorite bands and you might turn up something.

There are any number of gifts that you can give an iPod owner. With any luck, this TechTip has given you a few ideas and gotten you thinking. Look around the Web, and you're bound to find that special something for the iPod owner on your holiday gift list.

Tags: Geeks Tech Tip

Bookmark: