>>And WHERE have you been for the last five years?<<
Ok, so they can do some video. Being someone who has never, in my life, paid for a music download (though the recent demise of limewire was a bit of a temporary challenge) and not interested in diminutive video experiences, the music is all that mattered. ;)
As a musician in a previous career, I am shocked that you announce that you prefer to steal your music instead of paying a pittance for it and rewarding the people who worked hard to gain the skills so you could enjoy it. They didn't do it so you could have your music for nothing, you know.
Your not knowing what an iPod is capable of is interesting... did you know that there are FOUR TIMES more games for the iPod/iPhone systems now than for ALL OTHER hand held games systems combined... and you say it can do "some video" when they can play full length movies and the iPod touch can stream HD television to your HD TV? over WIFI? The iPods are also eReaders and a host of other useful things. Try any of that on your low end, cut rate music players that only play music.
By the way, you can load an iPod without ever buying a song from the iTunes store merely by ripping your own collection of music from your CD collection. There are many of your fellow freepers who have done just that, me included. I think I have bought only about five songs from iTunes... I already have all the music I want.