[JavaBrewer]

What makes the iPod the killer appliance vs. the other mp3 players on the market? Seriously, is it just the hardware/user interface? I would like to pick up something that can double as a portable hard drive for my XP systems to shuttle stuff between work and home. I'm totally clueless on these gadgets and since I've lost my 256mb thumb drive would like to replace with something more useful. I use iTunes on my XP system if that makes a difference.

Thanks!