How to get started with MP3, hard drive, etc. for dummies.

I'm almost 50 years old, so I'm not sure I even know how to ask for what it is I want, but here goes. I don't know nuthin' about MP3 technology. For the past ten years I've been having a blast putting my favorite 50 or so CD's into a CD changer jukebox and pushing random...(it's like my own little radio station) but I understand it can be done so much more efficiently now with hard drives. But I have been afraid to go there because I am afraid it would involve learning a lot of transfer techniques involving computers etc. But anyway, here's what I want...something with a hard drive that I can just load a moderate amount of CD's directly onto, with a minimum of fuss, and play them randomly. And I want something with speakers, not earplugs, doesn't have to be a tiny unit. I don't want to download any MP3's off the internet or anything. I know it is possible to go really huge capacity and do this with cellphones and god only knows what...but I really want to start small and simple...I guess I am picturing something like a boombox with a hardrive? Does anyone have any suggestions where to get started here?

Bose offers something what you may be looking for...
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=ls48_dvd_index

however it would be alot cheaper to transer cd's to your Ipod & get one of those docking stations.

Holy smokes! Well, a least I know the Bose is going to sound good, because I've got a small one, the $500 model. I did find a second product that would meet my needs, but it's actually almost as spendy as the Bose. It's one of those Retro Jukeboxes with a hard drive. Beautiful looking with flashing lights and all.
Perhaps I should take the advice of Iggy Pop from the song "More" on the "Soldier" album...."Play scratchy records and enjoy my decline". My 90 year old mother is perfectly happy with her vacuum tube groove digger, so maybe I can learn to be content with my old warhorse CD changers. Thanks for the tip, though.

You could buy an MP3 player and use the A/V Out to plug directly into stereos, computers and car stereos. I just recently bought the new Creative Zen player. It's 30GB and holds about 15,000 MP3s. Of course, if you put a lot of prog on there, like I did, it'll hold about half that amount. Haha.