We could argue all day about exactly how the iPod managed to secure such an enormous marketshare, but one thing seems for sure: It wouldn't have stayed where it was were it not for the ridiculous number of third-party accessories that roll out every minute. Other companies, such as SanDisk, have made valiant efforts to roll out accessories for their own players, but no one has managed to come even close to the deluge of items marketed to complement Apple's player.

The Zune, while often derided, had the enviable position of possessing brand-name recognition from the moment the first player launched, thanks to the Microsoft tag it bears.

The first generation of the player had a few accessories, but the Zune 2 will really hit the ground running. The new player's November 13th launch will also see the release of accessories from a slew of manufacturers, including [deep breath]: Agent 18, Altec Lansing Technologies Inc., Belkin International Inc., Case-mate, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), Directed Electronics Inc. (Polk Audio), Dual Electronics Corp., GPX, Griffin Technology Inc., Golla, iHome, Incipio Technologies, Integrated Mobile Electronics Corp., Kicker, mStation Corp., Memorex Electronics, Monster Cable Products Inc., Skinit, Speck, Targus Group International Inc., VAF Research, Vaja Corp., and zLive (DPI, Inc.).

That's a total of 60 new accessories at launch. Take that, Sansa.