thanks for your answers I forgot to mention that I don't really care too much about the mic-in, it's really not important to me. and I don't think i'd use the MD record through line-in connection, ... maybe just in some certain times, but for me the most important is the usb connection (i have a nw-hd3 so i know the technical stuff) and I have no md players right now, so this one will be my first one since I sold my old fellow R707 back on march 2004 (ahh snif), thus I have no previous md discs to be played on this new unit is any of the two more friendly to use, or supposed to have longer lasting life (or supposed to fail more)??