Icoca Card

I'll be arriving at KIX on the early morning of 17 January 2013 and need to get to my Toyoko Inn hotel near Shin-Osaka Station. I'll be staying there for 3 days before I travel to other parts of Japan for my holiday and will be back in Shin-Osaka on 29 January till 1 February 2013 and will leave for KIX in the evening for my flight home. Most of my travel around Japan will be covered by a 14-day JR Pass from 19 Jan till 1 Feb and have planned an extensive itinerary which will fully utilize the JR Pass. My questions are whether it is worth it for me to purchase the one-way Icoca and Haruku ticket package to get from KIX to Shin-Osaka? Will the Icoca card be useful for the 2 days(17 & 18 Jan) that I'll not be covered by my 14-day JR Pass? Can I use the Icoca Card on non-JR trains? Will I be able to use the Icoca card to make purchase in convenience store like the Suica card that I've use in Tokyo?

My questions are whether it is worth it for me to purchase the one-way Icoca and Haruku ticket package to get from KIX to Shin-Osaka?

Yes, it will be the perfect complement to the Japan Rail Pass.

Will the Icoca card be useful for the 2 days(17 & 18 Jan) that I'll not be covered by my 14-day JR Pass?

Yes, Icoca can be used on most trains in the Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe area. And some buses (but not the Kyoto city buses).

Can I use the Icoca Card on non-JR trains?

Yes.

Will I be able to use the Icoca card to make purchase in convenience store like the Suica card that I've use in Tokyo?

Yes.

Thanks Uji, you are always a reliable source of information in this forum