8:30pm: I’m keen to get this fantastic audio book, recommended to me wholeheartedly by my girlfriend.  It’s like a Coles note for introductory Macroeconomics.  I want to burn it for our two-hour late-night drive.

8:45pm: After a Google search for “Audible.com free offer”, I find a 14-day free trial offer.  I sign up and am asked to download some software.

8:50pm: The installation asks me what device I use to play music.  I want to burn a CD, but I also use an iPod.  Their options have “iPod” and “I want to burn CDs” as separate options.  I’m not sure which one to pick so I pick the second one.

9:00pm: I install the software, and in addition to looking *vaguely similar* to iTunes (see screenshot below), it presents me with two empty databases: library and trash.

9:02pm:  After realizing there’s no way to actually download or buy anything from within the software, I head back to Audible.com, and find the audio book I like.  I check it out, and buy it.  The system recognizes I have a free trial, and I proceed to order and purchase the book at no cost.

9:10pm: I am forwarded to a download page, where strangely, all 20 chapters of the book are individually listed, with no button for download all.  I click download on the first link, and a pop-up appears: “You do not have the Audible.com download software.”  …  “Yes, I do” I mutter, feeling the way no usability designer ever hopes their users would.

9:15pm: I eventually find a link explaining I need to restart Mozilla for changes to take effect.  I do.  I still get the same error message.  I see a small checkbox indicating that I have to click the checkbox if my computer uses cookies and is not properly registering the software.  Finally, it downloads.

9:30pm: I have now downloaded my 20 chapters, one by one, and now want to burn it to a CD.  I launch the Audible software, drag and drop the files, and click “burn”.  Audible software indicates I must install Nero 7.

9:50pm: Nero 7 trial version is now on my computer (all 512 Mb worth).  I see an option for “burn Audible.com audiobook”.  I choose it and drag and drop the files in.  Nero asks me for my Audible username and password.  I enter them.  Nero smiles mischievously: “You can not burn these files.”

9:53pm: I head back to the Audible.com software, drag and drop the chapters into the software, and click “Burn using Nero 7″. I then received this notice.

10:00pm: We merrily start our trip, listening to Ricky Gervais podcasts and the Flight of the Conchords radio show.  I crash.