If you want special, find one without proprietary connectors, basic functionality such as hard bookmarking and true innovation like stereo bluetooth, high quality audio recording, a good fm tuner and an sd slot. For example, the Insignia Pilot (sadly discontinued), Creative Zen X-Fi and the Cowon D2. iPods aren't bad products but I find them limiting and occasionally frustrating. If it's iTunes that keeps you locked into Apple products, switch to Amazon drm-free downloads or buy a drm stripping tool. I have a favorite but there are several others out there that are pretty good.