Yes. If you only purchase music from the iTunes store and only listen to it on the iPod or through a device capable of coupling with the iPod (using official iPod cables or connector) - then it is indeed the easiest way to do things. If this is what you will be doing, the iPod will be the easiest route.

I personally prefer to be able to hook up a device by USB anywhere and access the music inside to play (if you do not have iTunes you cannot do this with the iPod). We have found the iPod to be quite fragile if there is any chance of dropping it, and we have found the battery replacement simply outrageous. Especially when at about 2 hours of play a day, the battery capacity drops very quickly and soon it doesn`t last through half the commute. Of the four iPods we have owned only one still works through some miracle... All the other music players are still alive and happy - one even after being put through the wash. The Toshiba one I linked to has been in use for 2 years now and still retains about 80% of it`s original battery capacity. After 2 years my iPod would only stay on for 20 minutes on a full charge.

What we do is this;
Buy an album on iTunes.
Burn an audio CD from within iTunes.
Import the audio CD as MP3 in iTunes or something else.
Put MP3s in device.

(Additionally - play the CD other places in the house or in the car, etc.)

It isn`t really THAT difficult and as I would be burning a CD of it anyway, it is really only the extra step of importing.

Didn't theJapanese make iPods?


No seriously, did they?

No.

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I'd go for Nyororin's suggestion. iAudio 7 is a good choice and as far as I know is has the longest playback (60 hours) compared with other mp3 players in out there in the market. But if you want a player that plays more than audio, then I might suggest COWON D2. It's also has a good video and audio playback. The downside of the two players is that they don't support the ACC format, so you'll be stuck with converting songs, you buy in iTunes.

Designed in California (by Apple), built in Shenzhen (China), in a factory owned by a Taiwanese company (Foxconn).

Ah, globalism, gotta love it!

XD Ah, I see, Americavs love their music, so we make alot of new gadgets for it.

I unfourtanetly seem to have the issue of stereyotyping all technology to be made by Nihon. I'll work on that . . .

Insomia stinks. I've been up since 3:30! Hopefully this is the only night . . .

i'm sorry.. but....
o.o'
how they bloody hell do you manage to drop several players while on a bike... AND... have one go through a wash?????? >.<'''

I own a iPod Tough 2nd Gen. (bought in US)

It supports Japanese and other languages as well. Normal words (for example "calender") for the application will be displayed in Katakana. The apps you download will appear in whatever language the app supports.

Songs and files will be in whatever language you edit the file to have.

~for ipod touch~

Husband, riding with a player in his suit jacket pocket or shirt breast pocket on a twice daily 40~45 minute bike ride. Go over a bump or something and have to lean forward at just the right angle that another bump sends the player out of the suit pocket. Or catch the earphone cable on something (hand, handle) and the player goes flying off. (The more common one)

It`s only been about 5~6 times over 4 or 5 years. It isn`t like this is a daily event. But it does happen.

As for the wash, left the disconnected player in his shirt pocket and tossed it into the washing machine. Only once in 4 or 5 years.

The most common dropping is getting off the bike and catching the cable when he gets his bag out of the basket. But this isn`t when the bike is moving so it usually doesn`t break a player.

I`ve never dropped a player myself, but then again I don`t ride a bicycle for about 90 minutes every day.

On my regular mp3 player if the song title is in romanji then while playing, the title will appear in kanji.