[RickC]

Asked the same question to this board last winter, and I haven't been so pleased with a techno-purchase in......well, ever.

Got the 20GB 2nd generation. Has all my CD's in it (3000+ songs), a few downloaded songs, old time radio dramas, Sam Shepard short stories, my kids' favorite Disney/radio tunes - to quote the Eagles - everything, all the time. Really is great to have all your music at your fingertips.

Only drawback is running. It usually skips a bit, so I've stopped using it except indoors on a treadmill where you can set it down on something. Fine on an outdoor or indoor bike though.

Wired it into the home stereo & use a iTrip radio transmitter for the cars (great reception in the 911 and Volvo V70XC, a little less great in the Acura MDX and old Honda Civic). Have an old neoprene Palm case that I velcro it into so it is pretty tossable & waterproof.

iTrip also doesn't work well where serious power lines line the road (like the Florida Keys).

Looks like the new full size iPods on the Apple site have the mini's controls......