iPod, any problems?

[Em and Hame]

I've just bought an iPod, 20GB click wheel, am in the middle of transferring all my CDs onto it. Then I read the small print - nobody told me the lithium battery has a lifespan... guess I should have realised but I didn't.

So, my question is this, once you've charged it so it won't charge anymore(500-1000 cycles??), is it possible to get a new battery fitted but save all the music? The laptop it's all stored on will be in a garage in Scotland, not with us.

I've called the shop I bought it from here in Malaysia but they were unclear if the music could be saved if the battery was changed in the future, one guy said yes, another, no. We are planning to get as far as the US, with a bit of forward planning I thought if it goes wrong it's the best place to get it fixed...

My other question is has anyone had any major problems with an iPod, with regard to vibrations, getting wet, dropped, sat on etc?

Can't conceive of life without my music...

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Em (the pillion half)