It contains an online music store, Internet radio, CD playback and ripping software, and other features commonly found in jukebox software.

More alarming still, it comes with no jukebox software at all; you're expected to drag your music files onto it manually, in Windows Explorer.

There were companies that made jukebox software, and companies that made portable players, but nobody made both.

The company is releasing a new version of its jukebox software today that gives users the ability to customize their selections.

You must load music onto the phone from your copy of iTunes 5.0, a sleek new version of Apple's free jukebox software for Mac and Windows.

For example, suppose you keep your music collection in iTunes (the free jukebox software) on your Mac or PC upstairs.

Now, in most jukebox software - like Apple's, Napster's or Musicmatch's - you would simply adjust the column widths or hide the columns you don't need.

It trailed others in creating jukebox software for storing and organizing music collections on computers.

But in the case of the iPod, Apple designed the music store, the player and the jukebox software on the computer; no wonder it all works so smoothly.

If they had evolved with the times and listened to their customers iTunes would most likely have never grown beyond being just another music download service and another piece of jukebox software.