I would recommend a Creative.
My old MuVo has seemed pretty resistant to being dropped on the floor, but if you're going to go for a model with a large and fragile screen for watching videos, a protective case of some sort probably wouldn't hurt. And the default whataretheycalled, the bits that go in your ears, usually tend to suck.
I don't need software. When I plug the player, it is instantly recognized as a portable USB memory and I can just drag-and-drop songs in it. This might of course be different if your OS is really old or designed for server use only.
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