i would research them b/f making a decision. for me personally the napster one doesn't seem like that great of a deal. i would want to know what you can do with the mp3s. i feel like there has to be some catch like you don't really own them and can't do something like burn your mp3s to a cd. also i think for *most* people the bulk of their mp3s would come from converting cds they already own. also look into what songs you want. i have had issues with itunes but mainly it's due to trying to find relatively obscure songs or things that were released way before the whole mp3 player craze. outside of that itunes does have an extensive collection of new songs and i like that they have features that allow you to explore new music (i.e. playlists). if you're looking for an ipod alternative, creative makes some great players. hth!