Is there a relatively simple way to convert an Audible book from the default .aa to .mp3?

It is the stupidest thing in the world that you have to pay $15-$20 for a book and you can't store/use it without their software, can't burn it without nero or itunes, or you can't put it on any device that can play mp3s (only Audible compatible devices).  I will not join up if I can't convert to .mp3 easily.  

Frak that copy protection garbage.  The only reason I still buy music CDs is because I can rip them to .mp3.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=convert+.aa+to+.mp3

Hold a boom box with a tape recorder up to your computer speakers.  Then, play the tape recording you just made into the microphone of your computer while you have recording software running.  Be sure to make your new recording in .mp3 format, not .aa format otherwise you are going to have play the recording you just made back all over again.

I haven't really ever needed it, but there is software that lets you convert audible to mp3.

No iTunes crap needed for audible.  The software needs to be on a system with the audible manager is all.

I prefer to keep them in audible format, that way the chapters work correctly on all my devices.  I haven't bumped into an unsupported device in a while, the Droid was the latest, but it only took them a couple months to have Audible for Droid out after I got my Droid in June.  I tried using the MP3 converted books, and it was a total pain, relatively.

––ETA:  As for CDs, Audible Manger will burn a book to discs now, it just takes a lot of CD's and isn't worth the hassle to me, so I haven't bothered with it.   It WOULD be neat if it burnt a book to CD as MP3 "chapters", since most CD players out now support mp3 discs, but that would eliminate their copy protection.

I don't mind paying $20/month for 2 audiobooks, though.  I also heard authors also get a better commission on audiobook sales compared to book sales.