Do iPod users Have to Use Itunes?

Ever since I met my first Apple Mac computer decades ago, I decided right then that I would never buy such a thing because of the stupid file system. Then when I bought an Ipod to play MP3's in my car, I saw the same file system. :*(

For instance, when the Ipod is connected and detected by my PC Windows OS, and I use File Manager to navigate to the Ipod\Music directory, there are about 50 sub-directories each containing about 70 MP3 files. This is of course after first allowing Itunes to create a "Library" on my HDD (waste of space), so Itunes can then "Sync" the Library onto the Ipod.

Then when I look at the files in those sub-directories, I really have to scratch my head. The original file name was "Pink Floyd - Pigs.mp3", but on the Ipod it ends up being "Q8gF.mp3". And the 70 (or so) files in that sub-directory don't follow any sort order that makes sense to an earth man. Methinks Steve Jobs and the boys were smoking something wild when they came up with this Apple file system!

Anyway, reading online I find a post that claims Ipod owners can disregard Itunes completely and simply Drag'n'Drop files from their PC onto the Ipod into that Music directory. Have any readers here done this?

If you have, are there certain guidelines that should be followed? Is it better to have a bunch of sub-directories instead of just dumping 3000 files into the Music directory? Would this affect the buffer / read time to make files available for viewing and playing?

Thanks for any input....

Wolf