Ipods could be target of new viruses.

You know; I had an odd thought just now. After keeping a constant watch on recent updates with Apple and the iPod brand, I have noticed something interesting. Ipods could be susceptible to viruses. Yes, Viruses.

One commonly repeated theory regarding why viruses are more prevelant on PC platform computers than that of Apple is a simple one: There are many more PCs in the world than Apple computers, therefore to do the most damage a virus creator is best off designing his virus for a PC.

Well that makes sense doesnt it?

Now if you apply the same rule to mp3 players... you reach the subject of this post. There are many more iPods than any other make of mp3 player. A recent report by research firm Canalys maintains that nearly 70 % of all hard-disk mp3 players are an iPod product.

Now imagine the chaos. A young iPodder with an iPod Mini...or an even more unfortunate owner of a new 60gb iPod photo logs onto the internet one day. He's got his iPod in its dock and is eagerly searching for an interesting podcast or two. He finds something that sounds intersting and goes for the kill.

Unbeknownst to our young iPodder, he is quickly downloading a new virus that has been disguised to look like a podcast. But this file is instead a virus designed to attack the contents of his iPod the moment it is played.

Our hero removes his iPod from the dock and heads off for a jog with his iPod, with the hopes of listening to his newly downloaded podcast files. Instead, this iPod owner is listening to static. And soon finds that his iPod is locked in play mode with the hard-disk drive grossly gnawing away at itself like a dog whose just lost his leg in a heinous car accident.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, its possible. Imagine the absolute horror of finding your ipod has become infected with a virus and knowing there is no way to clean it without sending it back to Apple to have it wiped clean and reprogrammed. You would lose all of your music, probably have to format your computer (and lose even more music), and then live with the fear for the rest of your life, of having it happen all over again.

Its a possibility which I suggest you watch out for, and just one of the reasons I advocate not buying an iPod, but instead looking for one of the superior products produced by today's PC/ hardware manufacturers.

After all, it seems that these pc products are less likely to catch a virus than your (Apple) iPod...