You have to get iTunes to download the songs in the first place. But for use in other places, suggest to your friend downloading their non-DRM music. The burn-rip dance is then unnecessary. You can play it in anything that handles AAC files.
Just looked it up, expires in two years from date of issue or two years from date of last activity on iTunes, whichever is later.
Excellent, thanks. The card says it has no value until activated at the register. Since I assume the person who gave it to me bought it in late 2006, it should still be good.
This thread inspired me to do a little research. I found a link saying that Apple will close your iTunes account if you email them, which was one of my original reasons to avoid using this gift card. Wikipedia says Windows Media Player for Windows Mobile will play AAC files, but there's a document on the Microsoft knowledgebase that says Windows Media Player 11 (desktop version) won't play .M4A files, which it says use AAC. Would a music file be called "songname.AAC" or "songname.M4A", or am I completely off track here? If I could figure out that I could treat AAC files like MP3s (play them on my computer, on my phone, and burn them to CD), I might use the gift card myself.
Also, do you know if every song is available without DRM for $1.29 or just a selection?