I have lost my ipod, the gf wants to get me a replacement for xmas but having seen the prices I am sure there must be something that is better value out there. Trouble is all my songs are stored in my itunes.

So my questions are, a) which MP3 player is the best value, and b) if all my music is stored in my itunes how do I get it onto a different model MP3 player

Get a phone with an MP3 player. Are your files MP3, or iPod specific? Make sure that you only select devices compatible with your music format, or you will need to re-rip.

If you already have an iPod, the latest Touch is a great unit, so you might find it easier to stick with the brand. I’d use Apple if they didn’t lock me in to their way of doing things and if their players were a bit more reasonably priced. My phone does the job and so i’ve now only got one gadget to think about, carry, charge etc.

I have a sansa clip 2gb, was about £20 off ebay. Works well, sound is good and it doesnt really matter if I lose it

Your music isn’t stored in iTunes. It’s stored as individual files in a folder that iTunes can readily access. all you have to do is find this folder using either the preferences pane on a Mac or right click (I think) if you are using windows. Assuming that your new player is compatible with the type of file that you chose to store your music in, all you will need to do is copy the files across. You will of course lose all the metadata and playlists but that probably isn’t a big deal.

Get an Ipod shuffle my 2GB was only 2gB then you can use Itunes and still have a sensible MP3 player.

I’d recommend my iPod Nano on ebay at the moment. I’m only selling it because I ran out of capacity so I’ve replaced it with a 32GB iPod Touch.

Currently for only 99p.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180586375756&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT