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Special report by Applelinks senior editor Kirk Hiner

Okay, obviously, I don't need to tell you the many advantages the iPod has over the old Walkman-type portable cassette and CD players. That would be kind of like pointing out the advantages indoor plumbing has over the outhouse. There is one, however, that bears mentioning, because it runs hand in hand with the reason so many of us buy the iPod to begin with...it's easier to share your music.

Walkmans, after all, were all about portability. I can't recall once seeing someone with a Walkman plugged into a set of external speakers. The iPod, however, changes all of this because of the sheer volume of music it can store. If you can fit 15,000 songs on one device, you can certainly bet I'll want to hook that device up to a set of speakers to be able to hear those songs without the restrictions of headphones. The iPod isn't just about portability, it's also about the convenience of having your entire music collection in one place, available at any time.

There are countless ways you can get external audio out of your iPod. I won't go into them all here. Instead, I'm just going to take a look at the external speaker option, and Harman Multimedia products in particular. Why Harman? Because that's where I chose to start. Keep in mind that this isn't a review. I'm not evaluating these products, I just think they look like good options, and I want to let you know they're out there.

I'll start with the Harman/Kardon Drive + Play ($199.00), just because it's the coolest of all the options. People often ask us for the best method of listening to the iPod in the car, and this, my friends, is it. The Drive + Play offers a seamless connection to your car's audio system, so you can keep your eyes on the road while still enjoying all your favorite music. This is key. You no longer have to stare down at the iPod to switch songs or set your radio frequency (if using the FM transmitter option mentioned below), making the road a bit safer for...you know, everyone talking on their cell phones and yelling at their kids.

The three piece interface consists of a display for your dashboard, a controller for your central console, and the brain that wires everything into your car, replicating the iPod's controls on a larger scale for greater ease of use. Placing the display on your dashboard is like have your own HUD, and the controls are simple to use without having to look at them. It's no more distracting than shifting gears.

The Drive + Play connects to your car's audio system in one of three ways: a 3.5 audio line output, a wired FM transmitter (adaptor sold separately), or an onboard wireless FM transmitter (five preset frequencies, one selectable). If possible, I recommend the 3.5 audio line output, as the FM transmitters still bring about the troubles inherent in the method, which I won't get into here (if you use one, you know what I mean). However, even if you go that route, this is still a worthwhile system even with the $200 price tag and the tricky (but not terribly difficult, I'm told by those who have done it) installation simply for convenience and safety purposes.

Oh, and the "Hey, cool!" factor.

More information is available at www.driveandplay.com.

On the opposite extreme, we've got the Harman Multimedia/JBL On Tour ($99.95). This little guy has nothing to do with your car, but is instead designed for the light traveller or the iPod user who doesn't want to bother with headphones but also doesn't need a lot of sound.

It's small (7" wide by 3.5" deep by 1.4" high) and it only weighs 12 ounces. Your iPod doesn't dock with it, but plugs in via the 1/8" (3.5mm) Mini Stereo Jack from your iPod's headphone output. The benefit there is that it'll work with any iPod, or even another MP3 player, Walkman, etc. The On Tour outputs 3-watts per channel and can run off AC power as well as battery power. It also sports an integrated protective cover and stand; the sliding cover protects your sound system and serves as a stand when open.

Although it's not made specifically for the iPod, it does come in both black and white models to match the iPod line, so we all know what JBL were thinking about. There's not a lot of power here, but if you just want something quiet for your desk at work or the hotel room, it's an easy way to go.

More information is available at the JBL website.

If you're not on tour, the Harman Multimedia/JBL On Stage II ($169.95) may be more to your liking. Unlike the On Tour, the On Stage II docks directly with most iPods—including the Nano and 5G models, but not the Shuffle. The benefit here is that the speakers can charge your iPod while it's docked with the system, even if the system's off.

The On Stage II offers 6 watts of power per channel, so it's a tick louder than the On Tour. Better for a desktop system, but still not ready to rock the house. The sound's supposed to be pretty good, but I haven't heard the unit in a controlled environment to offer details. I can comment on the appearance, though, which is actually quite cool. It's a ring, sort of like a bundt cake or an Apple Airport with the top cut off and the center hollowed out. It would look great on an end table or desk, although you'll have to make sure your guests know to not use it as an ashtray. Unfortunately, it's only available in white.

More information is available at the JBL website.

I want to leave the iPod now to take a look at the Harman Multimedia/JBL Creature II 2.1 speaker system ($99.95). These gumdrop shaped speakers (two satellites and a subwoofer) now come in four colors, offering aluminum and a metallic red to go along with the more traditional white and black. Harman states that the the Creature II adds "instant cool" to your system, and they're right. More importantly, it offers 40 total watts of power, making the system just about right for movie, music and gaming audio on your computer.

I'm not sure I like that the treble and subwoofer controls are both located on the subwoofer, but considering how great this system looks, you'll probably want to keep the subwoofer up off the floor anyway.

More information is available at the JBL website.

And finally, we've got the Harman/Kardon SoundSticks II 40-watt 2.1 speaker system ($169.95). I used the initial SoundStick system for three or four years before the lack of a separate volume control and headphone jack started to outweigh the great sound. Guess what? The SoundSticks II have a separate volume control. And although there's still no headphone jack, they're no longer USB controlled (they plug into your computer's output jack), so you don't need to worry about taking up a USB port. This also means the speakers can be used with any device that has a 1/8" (3.5mm) Mini Stereo Jack, including your iPod.

The SoundSticks II utilize computer-optimized multi-band parametric equalization, and Harman's unique "capacitance touch" control buttons on the right satellite allow for direct access to volume control. I'll let you know exactly what that means as soon as I look up half the words in that sentence. Until then, I'll just let you know that the super-cool blue light remains.

More information is available at the Harman/Kardon website.

So, there you go. No matter what your external speaker needs are, whether for the iPod, your computer system or both, Harman Multimedia is a good place to start your search. We'll keep searching, too. We've got our iPods, after all, it's time we let everyone outside of headphone cord range hear them.