[SamAdams76]

Get a portable CD player? You've got to be kidding. That's the whole appeal of an iPod - to get away from using those awkward, skip-prone CDs. And even with a CD of MP3s, you still will not be able to setup playlists, which again, is a major feature of organizing all your music digitally. And this would only work if you music collection consisted of about 200 tracks or less. Otherwise, you'll be swapping CDs constantly on an oversized player and having to tote around a bunch of CDs. An awful solution. That is so 1995, as my teenage sons would say.

Drop any hard drive on a carpet and you risk ruining it. However, I've dropped my iPod a few times, including into a puddle of water on a cement street, and it has survived. I do keep it in a leather case at all times.

As for the "video" iPod, who cares? It's all about the audio. Even Apple is only marketing the video functionality on the new iPods as an "extra." As an audio player, the new iPods simply have no peer.

[seastay]

No I am not kidding Ipod is $500 and an MP3 CD player is what $50? While my teenager may agree with yours, CD players may not fit in their pocket; the price fits better in the pocket book!