ROMBUSTERS

I'm checking out buying the Sony NW-E405B for a friend of mine who would love something as sexy as that but I have a few questions. -First off has anyone put together a review of this or FAQ (as this may answer all of my questions)? -Is SonicStage required for transferring music onto this device or is it true drag and drop? -Is the MP3 playback crippled or decent? -How is the battery life on something like this? -Is there something better on the horizon (that looks sexy, in a similar price range, has better features, etc) before early November? Thanx all