Ever since the iPod first came out, enterprising souls have been looking for and experimenting with ways to modify both its hardware and its software. This is done for a variety of reasons - to introduce new functionality, to test the iPod under various conditions, and simply for the novelty and uniqueness that such an “iPod mod” would bring.
Coming up with new mods, either software or hardware types, is not easy for the typical user. But software mods, once discovered and tried out, often become available for download. And it’s much easier to customize the iPod’s software rather than its hardware, especially for users who are not handy with tools and tinkering.
In this light, one of the essential iPod mods is called iPod Linux. As its name would imply, this hack allows the running of the Linux operating system on any iPod - but of course it would be pointless on the Shuffle variants, as they have no screens. Linux on the iPod would allow the playback of OGG sound and music files, which are unsupported by the unmodified iPod.
But more importantly, once iPod Linux is up and running on your iPod, it becomes easy to find and download modules and applications that would work with iPod Linux to transform your iPod into something else. Linux is a full-featured operating system that has been around for some time now. It has already gained a dedicated user base. This means that the development of software for use with Linux is an active field which a modded iPod could very well take advantage of.
A wide variety of applications have been developed for use with iPod Linux. The most popular of these include, of course, games! Doom, a popular first person shooter, has already been ported for running on the iPod Linux system. Other popular games available for the iPod include arcade games such as Space Invaders and even Pac-man. Installing these games makes the iPod suddenly a versatile entertainment device and not just a digital music player any more.
More utilitarian software is also available. Support for digital encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, the user-created encyclopedia, is available for the iPod already. It is also now possible to convert DVD movies and footage into the format that an iPod would recognize and be able to play. This entails downloading software called a converter, and processing your DVDs using this software to produce files that can then be transferred to the iPod and played. And a myriad of other applications can be found - timers, a utility for turning the iPod into a universal remote control, and even simple text file editors!
Modding your iPod can be as simple as installing easily downloadable software on it, and virtually unlocking new features and capabilities. Be aware, however, that third party modifications such as this may void the warranty contract with Apple. A lot of people consider this a fair enough bargain for being able to customize their beloved iPods even further.
http://www.frozenipod.com/2007/ipod-mods/#more-8
