OK, here's a bit more info.....
Ipod Shuffle:
MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps)
MP3 VBR
AAC (8 to 320 Kbps)
Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store, M4A, M4B, M4P)
Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4)
WAV
Other Ipods:
MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps)
MP3 VPR
AAC (16 to 320 Kbps)
Apple Lossless
AIFF
Audible
WAV
Don't know how DRM fits into this yet either. OK, found some stuff on it from someone else's newsgroup post:
Seeker1: "iPod itself imposes no DRM restrictions. The iTunes Music Store
(iTMS) does insofar as it only sells AAC files with DRM. However, the
iPod can play MP3 or AAC files with no DRM. If one wants to, there are
also techniques for stripping the DRM from iTMS songs.
You can play music from anywhere on the iPod, DRMed or DRMless. It is
the case that just about every other online music store is choosing to
use a format that the iPod doesn't support, WMA, which also carries DRM.
I grant that the iRiver and others do play WMA, but then they often
don't support AAC (with or without DRM). However, there are places where
you can buy un-DRMed MP3's and they will play just fine on the iPod.
My only complaint about the iPod at the moment is that they should add
OGG support also. I honestly don't care about WMA although I know there
are many who want that added.
I am not crazy about DRM myself but IMHO Apple was one of the first to
offer the least draconian scheme. Three computers and ten CD's isn't
nirvana, but it beats earlier systems where you had to be a subcriber
paying monthly fees to continue listening to purchased music and could
only do it on one machine."
So, I didn't have the full story on a regular ipod - looks like it would do fine with regular mp3s. Hmm, I wonder if I had been reading a 1st generation ipod review then.
As far as how would I know where to resume in case the player had to restart, I don't know why it would have to restart. And since I'm listening to audio books, I don't need to know where to resume if I pick a different mp3 because that would be where I would start. In other words, say I load up two books worth. The first book sucks, so I just FF to the next book, 1st chapter. When I listen to audiobooks, I generally listen to them just like I'd read them - from the first page thru to the end of the book. I'm not skipping around. I don't need LCD if I have only a couple of books as they'd be placed in order. Book one has 30 chapters - well, not a big deal. My cd player I have to hit FF 30 times or whatever to go to next book anyway because folder navigation is difficult to do. It's got to be easier on this.
I have a laptop with a USB port. If I am on a trip, maybe skiing, and I load up mp3 music from laptop, then ski all day and need to recharge, I'll plug it into laptop to recharge.