Just want to raise the idea of mp3 players other than iPods. Don't just blindly go for an iPod, you should shop around, see what else you can get for the amount of money you want to spend. I always shop around first, then if there's no stand-out choice I'll go for the niftiest option (in this case, the iPod). But it'd be annoying to go straight for the trendy thing and then realise a couple days afterwards that there's something else that does the job better.
Ah, but there is. The iPod is one of those rare cases where the most popular choice actually
is the best. Admittedly, many people get it just because everyone else has it, but it wouldn't have exploded as it has if it wasn't good to begin with.
That said, I would also advise anyone looking into MP3 players to shop around, but I sincerely doubt you'll find anything that'll beat the iPod in terms of ease of use, design, and software integration. Believe me, I've looked, and I continue to look for any competing devices that might hold a candle to the iPod, but for one reason or another, they all fail miserably.
Anyway. Feel free to dismiss me as a fanboy, as I probably am.
Also: If you do decide on an iPod, consider holding out until April 1, when (it is rumored) Apple will introduce the 6th-generation "true" video iPod.