taimatsu no monogatari

Oh yes, and, MP3 players.

I really want to get myself an MP3 player. I used to have a 20Gb iPod, which I loved very much, until I threw it on a train station platform and it broke. I was going to same up for a new 30Gb iPod, but my beloveds have reminded me that actually other MP3 players exist and might be a better deal.

Criteria:

I want something which will fit enough music for a 5-hour train journey at least. My full music collection (when Robert has the time to copy me our joint stash) will be well over the capacity of most players, so I can't ask to fit all my music on a thing. But I want lots to choose from.

Something that does playlists in the manner of the iPod would be nice. I want to be able to play sleepy-music or bouncy-music or none-of-the-Beatles or whatever.

I don't care about that whole video thing.

It must be able to cope with the kind of files iTunes uses (AAC?) as that's much of what I have.

Ideally it would work with iTunes, or with some other non-evil software that will not be lots of hassle to transfer to and which has similar features.

I don't use the iTunes Store, so that particular DRM issue isn't relevant.


So, what do you suggest? I am not spending over £200 on this at all, ever; suggestions in the under £100 category and the under £200 category would be good, though I recognise the former may have trouble with the first criterion.

Talk to me!

GAH! I have a hippycrap CD (also known as 'relaxation music') on to stop me faffing too much while working on my critical analysis - and it's a RAINFALL one, and it's making me NEED A WEE. That's no bloody good, is it?