Hi,

I recently received an iPod and I'm very excited about the prospect of
an online music downloading source.  However, I'm disappointed with
the selection available on iTunes.  I have a few general questions
about online music downloading; all my questions relate to legal,
pay-for-service sites.

1) If I download songs from sites other than iTunes, can I use the
songs on my iPod?  I know the iTunes software allows me to convert
other file types like MP3 and WMV files to the iTunes format, but my
understanding is that downloaded songs contain copyright protection
that prevents this.

2) Can you recommend some other good sites for downloading music? 
Specifically I'm looking for good selection (most important --
focusing on rock, folk, and world music), and a good technology for
intelligent recommendations based on my choices, similar to what
Amazon.com has.

3) Do the portables that can play music from these other sites offer
sound quality on par with the iPod?

4) What is the typical resolution of downloaded music compared to CDs?
 Are there any sites that offer true CD-quality songs?

5) Are there many artists/labels that aren't allowing their music to
be distributed on these services?  If so, is the situation likely to
improve?

I'm not looking for an exhaustive assessment of the alternatives to
iPod/iTunes, just a general understanding of the state of the
technology and the prospects for the future.  Thanks very much.