I am a complete noob with the iPod. I was reluctant to buy MP3 players because of the price, especially the iPod. Then my uncle gave me a brand new iPod mini.

Now, I KNOW that one can use iTunes on a PC to transfer music. But Im not too hot about iTunes.

Two questions:

1) When I first plugged in the iPod into my Windows XP SP2, it successfully read the iPod, and it came up as a removable drive in My Computer. Though, when i double click it, it says its not formatted (im guessing its mac formatted) and asks if i would like to format. Am I free to format it? Everyone talks about having their iPod being Windows formatted...is this how they do it?

2) If formatting isn't an option, how are all those 3rd party apps?

Yeah if your using Windows then your ipod has to be formatted for windows. Just click yes to format it and it should all work.

1) will that affect the software on the ipod that governs the stuff you see on screen?

2) after the format, will that make it like a USB flash drive? Which I can just drag music on and off of?

Theres is a button you can click in itunes to enable the Ipod to be used as a storage device. Cant remember witch one it is sorry and I don't have itunes installed.

edit : once you have formatted it, the ipod software will just need to be reinstalled onto the ipod, download and run the newest firmware from http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/ and run it after the format. For music to be played on the ipod you have to use itunes or another program to put the mp3's on.
You can just drag and drop anyfiles onto it in windows explorer for storage though.

well im kind of reluctant to install iTunes...

Well, it is the best program to sync your music and your iPod. There are alternatives, but they aren't nearly as neat or organized in my opinion.

hmm alright...thanks for your opinion

what about the 2 questions above, about formatting in windows?

When you install the CD that came with the iPod, it installs iTunes and a little app that formats it for Widnows. It is called iPod updater. It installs the latest iPod system software.

ah so thats what Ipod Updater is for...

alright...i'll report back after i install the software on the cd...

ive been going though the same stages as tokar, im a first time podder as well, got one this morning and found it fairly easy to use.