iTunes 7.5 XP Pro SP2 - Stops Ripping When Focus Changes

I'm new to this toy. I was ready to throw it on the ground yesterday
and stomp it to death. I failed to realize that simply changing focus
away from iShit and back caused it to stop ripping CDs. I spent some
time trying to simultaneously help my daughter with more XP b.s. while
ripping a couple of books.

I've a Nano 3g. Do earlier versions of iTunes support this device?
If so, how do I find earlier versions of iTunes?

tx

pc