I've got a 30 G iPod, one of the bigger ones. It's still hand-sized though, but with a large screen.
iTunes tends to be the program that people use most, to process their music through. The software should come with the iPod.
The iPod is an Apple invention, but it can be used with a easy child just as easily. However, as we're Mac people at home (ie Apple computers primarily) we have no trouble, it all interfaces beautifully.
Your iPod will need to be formatted to either Mac or easy child. Choose whichever computer type you are most likely to have access to. For example, easy child 2/difficult child 2's iPod was originally formatted to her ex-boyfriend's easy child, but she's re-formatted it to Mac, especially now she owns her own Mac laptop.
To charge the iPod - you can buy things tat will plug in direct, and charge them. various iStations, for example. We have also bought a car kit which charges AND plays through the radio, so no more lugging boxes of tapes when we go on long car trips - the iPod has enough storage for us to play without repeating, for weeks.
At home - we plug the iPod into the computer to charge the battery, but also to load songs.
To load music - you need to get a sound file (the CD) converted into MP3 format (a computer file). MP3s take up a lot less space on a disc, so you can buy CDs of MP3s and get a lot more packed into a smaller space. You don't just have music to choose from - husband bought a lot of old "The Shadow" radio show episodes. They were out of copyright, so we got hours and hours of it all, for only a few dollars to cover postage.
husband also downloads podcast radio programs to play later on the iPod.
The best way to convert sound to MP3 is to process it through a software package such as iTunes. From there you can load them onto the iPod - when it is connected to your computer, an icon should appear on the screen. You then transfer files to the iPod just as you would to any attached drive.
In iTunes you can put in the extra information about the tracks, such as the name of the artist, the name of the album, the type of music. I also use iTunes to create folders and playlists, so I can lump groups of tracks together. For example, I have some purely instrumental collections. And for when I'm driving impressionable young kids, I have some fun but clean tracks for kids to sing along to. The kids have added their own favourites to my iPod using their own playlists.
And if I've accidentally put the same song on twice, or I decide I don't like a track any more, I can easily delete it when it's hooked up to my computer.
I can also download my address book from the computer as well as iCal, the calendar/diary feature. The iPod will then beep my reminders to me, which can be very useful. While we were on the road a couple of months ago and heading north, I realised I'd forgotten my diary with the phone numbers of where we were going. But it was in the iPod, so I was able to track down the info that way. Very useful.
I can also put holiday snaps on my iPod, although I haven't really put many on. I still haven't worked out how to put video clips on it yet, though. Or movies. I know I can, but I need to do it without having to order the movie online. I want to copy a DVD I own, so I can watch it on the iPod while waiting in my car, for example, and then delete it and replace it with another one for next long wait.
Are you getting a new computer for the family? Or is there someone you have frequent access to, who is happy for you to fill their computer with your music? As long as it's the same kind of computer, you can use someone else's for now, then use yours when you get one again.
Enjoy - they really are amazing little gadgets.
Marg