Data Portability - Again, the iPod gets the nod here. The Karma will do it but you need special software AND you have to have the dock.

You only have to have the dock if you use a non-windows computer without an internet connection. If you have a Windows computer and the software CD (or an internet connection to grab the software), then you can do it with the USB cable.

The only thing the dock gains you is the ability to grab RMMlite directly off the player via ethernet. Not sure if the software CD has a loose copy of RMMlite or not.

Question: If I had a Macintosh version of the ipod and plugged its firewire cable into the PC, would it automatically appear as an external disk drive on the PC? If so, cool, kudos to Apple for that. If not, then it's really not any different than the converse situation with the Karma.