[SATLUG] Portable mp3 players and linux

[Bruce Dubbs]

I'm interested in finding a relatively inexpensive portable mp3 player
for jogging and walking.  I really don't know much about the hardware
players.  I know that the .mp3 format is a compressed audio format
(actually misnamed because the format is MPEG 1 Level 3, not MPEG 3).

I see that I can create .mp3 files from .wav files with LAME and can
download free (or not) .mp3 files from the internet.  I can rip a CD I
own to .wav files with cdparanoia.  All this means that I really don't
have a problem getting the content.

The functionality of a mp3 player would seem to me to be fairly simple.
 I was looking at the store today and saw several players.  My question
is how can I manage the .mp3 files on the portable player with linux?
Is is as simple as mounting via usb or firewire (IEEE 1394) or is there
something else?

I'm not really interested in an ipod because it seems to be too
expensive, but there do seem to be some players in the $40 range
available.  Any recommendations would be appreciated.

  -- Bruce