Hi Taggart.
No IRiver is a separate brand.
http://www.iriver.eu.com/homepage.html?L=0
(European Site)
In some ways easier to use than an IPOD as it synchronises using Window's Media Player.
I guess though it depends how much you hate ITunes (for me a lot
) or hate WMP (I love it, big squeezy hug)
The battery should be replaceable as it is with the IPod, I just have to get it sent back to IRiver, but as with the IPOD it probably costs an arm and a leg.