[cwa107]

Before I bought my first iPod, I had a Dell DJ (15GB) as I was (and to some extent, still am) a big Dell fan. The DJ was a nice device, but what really caught my eye about the iPod was the sheer number of third party devices out there for it.

My goal in switching off of CDs and over to an MP3 player was to be able to take my entire music collection with me, wherever I go. That was the "killer app" so to speak. But I found using the DJ in my car to be very cumbersome.

Although iTunes is not the best example of a media player UI (I prefer WinAmp, if you must know), I can deal with it for precisely the reason Vansmith mentioned above. And with an iPod adapter in my car that integrates into the factory stereo, emulating an XM radio, I have full control over the iPod through my stereo and steering wheel controls, with text display on the screen. That to me is well worth the trade off of having to deal with iTunes' eccentricities. Although I will say, that with the addition of "Genius" to iTunes, I do find it more compelling. I love finding new music that I had forgotten about or never heard of before, based on what I play.

I'd have a hard time buying a Sony media player. These are the same guys that introduced us to the most draconian DRM schemes ever, complete with rootkits! To me, Sony is an also-ran, I'd sooner go with a Zune, which is not all that bad of a device, despite how poorly it's been received.