I too have avoided text messaging, IM, and cell phone cameras, but recently discovered MP3 players. I wanted to listen to an audio book, so I bought something for $20 on eBay. Liked it so much I spent $300 on a bigger one to take on my hike, AND paid for expedited shipping on the damned thing. It is very nice.

Wanted to learn how to use it before my hike.

Just checked the tracking. It will get here this AM. I can hardly wait. I already have a stack of books from the library just waiting to load onto the thing. And it will even play movies, I think. I found a 4 AA battery charger for it, too, which with lithium cells will provide 10 times the original battery life at about 3.5 ounces w/batteries.

With 60GB it should hold all the books I'd want over the summer, and maybe "Das Boot" and a Pink Panther movie for tent-bound thunderstorm days.

(For people who are purists about hiking, I urge you to go for it. For some of us, the scenery can be great, and miles and miles of trees look like the last miles and miles of trees. It's nice to have something to take your mind off of the pain and drudgery of long uphill pulls with nothing but mosquitoes and flies for diversion.)

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get a $500 cell phone for $200. It would provide browsing and email where there is cell phone service and be a modem for a laptop while travelling. One could use it for a diary of the trip, too, as it has an MS Word suite.

Thanks again for the post.

Arf