I looove audio books! They are good for long walks on/off the treadmill.

I don't listen to them at the gym--need the music to keep me working really hard--but I do listen to them the rest of the time; whenever I'm using my body but not my brain. So when I'm cooking, or doing housework, or walking the dog, I'm listening to audio books. Love 'em!

I had a rio. It never worked quite right and then it died after less than 2 years. I'm currently contemplating what to get next myself... The part you put the battery into wasn't "reading" that a battery was in, no power = no music. Couldn't figure out how to fix it.

We use rechargeable batteries,there is always one ready, I kept an extra in my bag. Mine seemed to last a long time, but I only used mine on average 20 minutes a day, maybe a little more. It was mostly used as a Lizzie/Crazy boundary while I ride the bus.

So, I'm curious. How do you gals get your audiobooks? Reason I ask is that I'm a librarian. I used to listen to books on tape/CD in the car all the time. Then I got my MP3 and started downloading from Audible . com. Last December our library started offering free downloadable books. It has been a huge success. Do the rest of you use this service through your libraries?

I did the exact same thing! I got tired of buying batteries for my Rio, too. So, I bought an iPod Nano. It's extremely easy to use and I love it. I wouldn't change to anything else.

I'm pretty technologically impaired. My son tells me I need something that has about 1G and is easy to set on shuffle.
The one I have right now has about 17 songs and I can turn it on and off and I can skip! Ahead and backwards

I get what you are saying about Ipod because my husband and I did have one of the first ones, and yes, it did eventually die. We were so depressed!

However, I got a 2G ipod nano for my birthday in February and LOVE it. We bought it on ebay for $118.00 - brand new with warranty. I do not know anyone who has a nano that has 'died' although the earlier Ipod models were notorious for it. It's the perfect size for working out, holds plenty for me, and is very easy to use.

Susan, from your son's description of what you need, I would say the Ipod shuffle would be ideal for you. It's very small and light and all of my friends who have them LOVE using them to work out.

I'm sure you've bought your mp3 player already, but this may be helpful to somebody else browsing the forum...

I'm not sure about the battery on my mp3 player, but I have a Samsung that I love. I bought it at Best Buy for less than $100, and it looks like a money clip. It clips on my shirt sleeve, and it is so small and lightweight that it doesn't flop around while I exercise. I love it, and if it ever wears out, I'll buy another one just like it. It is about 2.5 inches long, about 1/2 inch thick, and very light. No bells and whistles like movies and color screens, but I don't need it. And the sound is good, too. I can't remember who made my first one - I think it was Creative Labs, and there was no bass, and the sound quality wasn't good. No problems at all with my Samsung.

The batteries are not removable, but it does recharge on my computer, and hopefully it has a rechargeable battery that I can replace. I'm thinking it does, because I was also turned off by the iPod battery situation and I wanted something more permanent. I actually thought the iPod was replaceable, but only by them. I had it in my head that the thing gets mailed off, battery replaced, and returned - and I didn't want to do without my mp3 player for a week waiting on a battery.

I support the iPod shuffle. It's tiny....It clips onto your clothes..it has enough space to fit more than enough songs to exercise to...I <3 my shuffle.