cyphur

iTrader: (10)

Another option to look at is the Creative Zen line. My wife has one and beats the **** out of it at the gym, and it keeps on working perfectly fine. The OLED display is pretty good too. I got her 4GB for less than $80. You can get larger versions that aren't the mini-size, and they are much cheaper per gig. I personally hate iTunes when run in Windows, but I don't fancy Microsoft much more - so I don't use MS if I can help it.

Dragaholic

iTrader: (180)

Kewl_Blades, what is printed/stamped on my CDs are as follows: Memorex, 700MB, 80 minute, CD-R. Is it the CD that's not right or the file? I use iTunes to burn the disks and LW for the download.

DONAIMIAN, what would the additional $20 be for? How does the iPhone and iTouch iPod download without a computer?

ex-SS-ve, I merely want this for music. My computer stores my videos and pics and I want a separate device that will store my music so that I can listen to it in my truck. I would have no use for pics and videos to view in my truck. I can't think of any other reason why I would need to store pics and videos on an iPod.

cyphur, I'll check into these other brands along with the ones that others have mentioned. Any reason why you don't like iTunes? I'm to say the least a beginner at this stuff. I do it the simple way, or at least I think. I down load songs that I want on a CD from LM, pop in a disk, open up iTunes, make sure that the CD text is the way I want it, burn it, and it's ready to listen to. I don't have any issues with iTunes.

hardcorebob

iTrader: (9)

Get you a 160GB Ipod and be done with it. You can find them new in the box for around $250-$300 and you will never need to upgrade to a bigger one. I have 80gb and completely filled it up with nothing but mp3's, but I had a 2500+ CD collection that I spend months ripping into the computer and importing it all into Itunes. You can also use your Ipod as a portable storage device (basically a HD) once you go into your computer settings after you hook it up for the first time.

ryansm1

iTrader: (8)

I am not Kewl_Blades but I can answer your question. When you are burning the CD with iTunes, you are burning music CDs. To make the MP3 discs for your head unit, you need to burn data CDs.

There are programs you can use (Nero, EasyCD, whatever) to make data CDs, or Windows XP/Vista have integrated CD burning for data. Burn the MP3s the same way you would back up your other files.

I assume that your main reason for buying something else is to hold music while you are in your vehicle? If so, you need to make sure that whatever you buy will be compatible with your head unit unless you plan on running through the auxiliary inputs. The new iPod Touch use a different interface from the older iPods, IIRC.

Kewl_Blades

iTrader: (5)

Use LW to download Nero 7 Ultra or Nero 8 Ultra. Then you can create MP3 cd's to play in your MP3 Deck.

Basically what you are doing is using iTunes (bad idea) to uncompress (making a 5MB MP3 file into a 40MB CDA or WAV file) your music and burning it on a CD. It's not your CD type, deck, computer, music...it's the way you are copying them onto the cd.
Your MP3 deck already has the ability to play MP3s so you have no need to uncompress the MP3s.

nickdotcom

iTrader: (9)

dont get the iphone if you want alot of music

mine is about half filled with JUST my red hot chili peppers and jimi hendrix collections

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

The additional 20 is for the visual voicemail. You can look at your voicemails on screen and delete them without listening to them or go straight to the one you want to hear. Its also for the unlimited e-mail/internet. Im sure you get a couple other things too, just cant remember off hand. With the unlimited internet on the iphone you can download all your music straight from itunes. With the touch, you can get on the internet anywhere theres a router and download from itunes that route, you can also surf the web on both.

nickdotcom

iTrader: (9)

the online itunes store only works if your in an area with WiFi

Charlie Hustle

iTrader: (8)

This has been the best answer so far. Instead of going out and spending any money, all you have to do is burn the music as mp3s onto your cd-r's. You already have everything you need. 1 700mb cd-r can hold about 150 songs. Problem solved.