Impulse = 1, Self-control = 0

So, I didn't buy a Nano, but I did go out and buy myself a digital music player last night. Bill took Trixie with him to flag rehearsal (which she LOVED, by the way--that girl is crazy about her daddy's band), and I had a little time to myself. "Self," I said, "just stop by Best Buy and take a look around. You won't buy anything!"

Yeah, right. Less than 20 minutes later, I left with a Sandisk 256MB Digital Audio Player.

Mike, if you're reading this, stop laughing at me. Really, stop.

I know that 256MB is small (only between four and eight hours of audio). I know I paid too much by purchasing from Best Buy. I know, 'cuz the two adorable little teenagers at Best Buy told me so, that "this is a great player if you need something that's easy to use," which literally translates into, "it's the least cool thing we sell, but you probably can't handle anything really cool." I know that I should have done my research before I went out.

But I also know that I wanted to record audio, which eliminates the iPod from contention (in true Apple style, it requires a $42 add-on to record into your iPod). As I mentioned in my Nano post, I'm not really that choosy about my music, so a built-in FM receiver, which this player has, was appealing. And truly, four to eight hours of audio will be enough for me. I can load it up once or twice a week, and that will carry me through any mobile audio moments I might have.

One thing I can say: this little baby IS easy to use. I had a music clip on the player in about 30 seconds, and a Gutenberg audiobook on a few moments later. There aren't a lot of buttons, and their purpose is clear.

Overall, I'm really pleased with my little purchase. I've wanted a digital audio player for a long time, and sometimes you just have to give yourself a gift (and not give yourself too much grief about it).

WDT