Ipod related questions

I had some questions about Ipods - I was wondering if you must use itunes to upload onto this or can you use any song that you currently have on your harddrive?

also, I have been reading some reviews that their are other brands on the market that are just as good, if not better. Would you recommend Ipod or a different make?

thanks again

Re: Ipod related questions

You can take all the songs you have on your harddrive and import it to the itunes library. They dont have to be from the itunes store.

There are other comparable MP3 players. Just do some research and narrow the choices down by your preferences.