narrowed it down to cowon d2 and iriver clix

[maclen]

I've been reading this forum and have been impressed with the knowledge of the participants and their assistance with people considering the cowon d2.

I've been looking for a non-ipod music player for a few months and have read everything possible concerning the two products. Sometimes I think that the internet provides too much information, since I have noticed lots of conflicting information (not here but mostly in product reviews). I have been leaning towards buying the d2 because, above all, I want the best sounding player that is available, and the d2 seems to have the best specs in this regard. However, I have a few questions (sorry if these have already been answered):

1. I am a newbie when it comes to music players so I am not familiar with all the formats. Currently, I rip cds to my pc and use the wmplayer 11, at a bitrate of 192. I read somewhere that the d2 will not autosynch with the wmplayer. Is this true?

2. I have read much conflicting information as to whether the d2 is compatible with music subscription services like urge and rhapsody. (I know the iriver is because it is listed as a compatible device for both services.) Do you know if the d2 is compatible with urge and rhapsody for downloading and "to go" (unlimited) services?

3. I have read that as long as the album art is ripped to the wmplayer, it will show up in the d2. However, I have also read reviews that you simply get black squares for album art. Which is true?

4. In the world of electronics, where planned obsolescence is the norm, a product that is a year old is likely to be replaced. Would you wait for a replacement for the d2? How do you think the iaudio7 compares?

5. Lastly, people seem to be having problems with cowon firmware (e.g., incompatability, one upgrade is a downgrade for something else). Is this a big problem?

Thanks very much for you help. It's much appreciated.