iTunes is a very cool program included in Mac OSX that was designed for the express purpose of ripping, storing, and burning music. When asked, most people tend to think of the iTunes application as Mac's version of the Windows Media Player, but nothing could be further from the truth.

iTunes is quite possibly the best program available on either platform for managing your music files. iTunes features one touch ripping and burning. Ripping your favorite CD to your Mac hard drive is a snap. Simply insert the CD into the appropriate drive, wait a few seconds and iTunes will automatically open. Once it has opened, look up in the upper right corner of the dialog box, you will see a button labeled "import", simply click on it and iTunes takes care of the rest.

iTunes also has several advanced options that help to enhance your musical experience. Go to the toolbar and double-click on iTunes, and then click on preferences in the drop down menu, you will see a menu that gives you access to the look, feel, and functionality of the iTunes app. Once you have entered preferences, click on the icon marked "importing". Once there you will see several different options. Including the "import using" drop down menu. This gives you the option of importing the music as an MP3, AIFF, or WAV file. Also, the "configuration" drop down menu allows you to choose which compression ratio you want to use while importing. You have the choice of either 128, 166, or 192 kbps, which are enough choices to please almost any ear.