There’s no getting away from it, you either love or hate iTunes, the Apple application for managing the media on your iPod or iPhone. If you’ve grown up with the program, you’ll probably forgive its little quirks, and an interface that can be somewhat bewildering. But for newcomers to Apple devices, iTunes can be frustrating, especially when it’s such an integral part of the Apple experience.

That’s why it’s always nice to see alternatives hit the market, such as this new Podtrans freeware. The software replaces iTunes on Windows computers and allows for transfer to and from your computer and iDevice, without all the fuss and bother.

The first thing you’ll notice about the program is the fact that the interface is delightfully simple. Export, Import, Delete…the main elements don’t get much simpler than that. The software manages all forms of media, including video, music and exotica such as podcasts, and can cope with all iDevices and versions of the Windows operating system.

The free version of the product supports import and export of music, but for the full range of iTunes library functionality (including iTunes recovery, iPod to iPod transfer and unlimited library support) you’ll need to upgrade to the $29.99 version.