Ahhhhhhh!
I removed iTunes from my laptop a while ago. I was sick of it's always-running services that use system resources. I was sick of it's non-standard interface & behavior on Windows.
Oh, and I use a Sandisk Sansa, not an overpriced iPod.
However, I was unable to find a suitable replacement. Nothing rivals iTunes in it's ability to manage my music collection. I tried MediaMonkey, Windows Media Player, and a dozen little-known media library applications.
Yesterday, I installed the latest iTunes version back onto my laptop. I will live with it until something better comes along. I have, in the past, purchased two albums through iTunes plus. So it's not all bad.