So you have your brand new iPod just sitting there, waiting to be filled with all kinds of great stuff. Now you're excitedly wondering: "Where do I get all the best iPod downloads for free?" You are an all-around person, so you are going to want music, videos, games, and all the other wonderful goodies that come with having your very own iPod. So where do you start?

The answer to this question comes in the form of a familiar website I'm sure you have seen many times offering those ever sought-after "unlimited free downloads." These sites generally require a small one-time fee before you can join and take advantage of all the available downloads. Now there are so many of these sites in existence that it has become difficult to sort the reality from the hype. To find out which of these sites is actually delivering, we must take into account several factors:

1. Number of Users The number of users sharing files within the download network is just as important as the number of files being shared. This not only increases the chances of a particular file being available, it also drastically affects download speeds. It's simple; the more users sharing files, the faster your downloads will be. Get it?

2. Number of Files The number of files is of course important as it will bring diversity to the genres and types of media available (i.e. movies, music, games as well as subsets within that like pop music, rock music, etc.). Again, the greater the number of files, the higher the probability that they have what you are looking for.

3. Software used to download files The organization of the software will make it easier (or harder) for you to keep track of downloaded files and actually make them accessible to your iPod. Good iPod download sites offer software converters to ensure that all files can be converted to the appropriate format for your iPod.

4. Customer Service/Guarantees An often overlooked, but no less important factor is customer service and guarantees. A good service should be able to offer help with any complications that may arise dealing with the software or trying to get files onto your iPod. Also, money-back guarantees are very important as they provide time for you to get a feel for what's available as far as downloads and time for comparison to other sites as far as overall service.

As long as you keep these factors in mind, there should not be much holding you back from getting all the best downloads that your iPod craves for free. You must be willing, however, to first pay a one-time fee to gain access as a member - a very small price to pay when you consider what you would be paying otherwise.