or in other words: Where is it? Can I access it without root access? I've been searching in ASTRO file manager but I can't find it. What is the full path?

Are there any off-the-shelf options for securing the contents of an SD card so that files written by apps writing to SD are encrypted? If so, what is the best option? I'm looking for something for all apps. I would strongly prefer to do it without rooting.

If I connect an iPhone to a PC it is not possible to copy files between the PC and the iPhone. I would like to be able to do this because it would be useful. What happens if I connect an Android phone to a PC? Do I see it as a disk or is it similar to the iPhone?

The only way I found to do it is by installing a 3rd party file explorer software. Isn't there a default app that does that? At least for media files?