So I took the $260 plundge and picked up my very own 20gig iPod.
Just for those who don’t want to keep reading and just want my short answer here it is- Good product, well made and worth the cash if you are in the market for a MP3 player.
Packaging:
The iPod comes in a black box with a 4 sided multicolored sleeve that slips over the box. Inside you find 2 compartments… one holding the iPod the other holding a CD some documentation and the headphones.
What Comes With It:
Not a whole heck of a lot, you get a install CD, a firewire cable, a USB cable, a charger and set of earbud headphones. The new iPods do not come with remotes or cases 
Design:
This thing feels rock solid- everything is right at your finger tips and its easy to navigate
Use:
Its very easy to use, just plug her into your computer enter your serial number (first time install) and iTunes sends all your music over to your computer.
Battery:
So far I have not gotten the “12 Hours” or actually even close. I get about 5 hours of regular use… still not bad.
Problems/Concerns
My only problem was that I blew the earbud headphones… my left channel is all screwed up. If I shake them I can get it to come back but only for a second, also this sounds gross but if I suck on the front of the earbud it sounds better for a bit. But I called up apple and they are sending me out a new pair free of charge and should get here within 2 business days 
I wrote this wicked quick and failed to proof read it- so if I missed anything call me on it and I will do my best to answer your question.