Hi, I've had a reliable Sony MZ-R700 for a long time. I've used it for voice recording, but recently when I recorded, I received an error and the unit wiped out all the data on the disc. I lost some important recordings. I'm interested in upgrading to the Hi-md. My Questions: Does data transfer require software or can I drag n drop? Can i use my old mini disc media to store data files/mp3 or do I need to purchase special data discs? Can wav and flac formats be played on the Hi-md? And, finally, can someone recommend a good model that takes a standard AA battery. If none exist, what's the best regular md unit for line-in recording/data transfer/AA batter? thanks.