Odyssey

HEY PhillippeC I have spent a lot of time looking a MiniDisc History, I really do like this format. But I can say I did not find nearly as many as you have. I will be looking through the collections... Thanks for the links Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

It sounds like you found something that someone took a great deal of care of. I started with the MZR50, which I don't believe was too far down the line from when yours was produced. You have to remember, other than leaving functions out on various MD recorders for marketing purposes, the ability to reproduce sound would become better as they moved up to the next model production. Thus, the MZR1 was a great sounding unit, but it is blown away by the RH1 or M200, which in my opinion is the best MD recorder SONY ever put together. I had to look at a picture of the MZ1 to see what type of buttons SONY used, they do appear to be the rubber type. I read somewhere that SONY used parts from a Dictating Machine to keep cost down, the display of the MRZ50 is from a Dictating Machine, so I have read, also. I Think because it was a new product, SONY tried to keep the cost down as long as they could. So its great to hear that you have all the functions working, the electronics inside these units keeps working a long time unless you drop it a few times. These machines don't like that much . The bad news is the button coverings... Rubber generally has a limited life, it takes a beating with UV and just atmosphere, slowly drying out. It would seem those buttons have lasted a long long time for that machine and It seems SONY realized this because I can't think of another MD unit that uses that type of button covering. In time, rubber will become brittle and flake away, crack, all good things rubber can do when it degrades. Automobile vinyl covered dash boards use something that is applyed periodically to try to protect the vinyl from cracks and drying out. In the case of your buttons, it is most likely too late as the damage has already occurred and/or over this amount of time, the rubber compound they used just naturally degenerated. The more you use the buttons, the more they are going to flake apart. Sensibly speaking I don't think there is anything that you can do, without taking away from the looks of the equipment, to stop the buttons from falling apart. Rest assured, when the button finally falls completely apart, it will stop working because on the bottom of the button there is a resistant pad and when you press the buttonn it makes electrical connection with two copper contacts which will trigger the function required. When that resistant pad is gone, it will stop working. The buttons are difficult to replace even if you could find replacement, which I doubt. UNREALISTICALLY speaking, I have to ask how badly do you want to keep this unit working? I am not a pro but I have done some saves of older things at one point or another, and this is a first at this type of problem. But give this consideration You say the buttons are working perfectly, only the rubber is cracking and coming apart..... I assume most of the buttons remains. I just looked at the MR1 pic again, the buttons with the numbers seem to be in a slight depression, for finger contact with the buttons. I am thinking maybe clear silicone sealant. Silicon remains flexy and should allow the press of the buttons to make contact as normal, may be a bit stiffer to press but would work. There will be a couple of steps. Take some plastic food wrap, lay it flat on a table or flat surface, apply a bead of clear silicone ON THE PLASTIC wrap long enough to cover the area that the buttons take, making it larger/longer is ok, this stuff will cut with sissors. Lay another piece of plastic over the silicone and press with something flat. You want to be about 1/16 inch thick so you can use pennys to make that space holding the flat object up. You are using the plastic to keep a flat shiney look to the silicone. Try to keep any wrinkles in the plastic stretched out. Once you have this prepared, let it cure, it will take a few days. Now for a test version after a few days, remove the flat object, slowly and carefully remove the plastic coverings, at least one side. You will find the edges are cured but the inside is still soft and curing. Once the inside is cured more, maybe another day you are ready. Cut the silicone to cover all the numbered buttons and the round button to the right. Leave some overlap as this is a test version. temporarily tape some plastic wrap to cover the buttons. Make it large as this is not a finished piece, you just want plastic between the MR1 and the silicone. Cut it large enough that any silicone you apply will not touch the MR1 body. Now apply enough silicone ONTO THE PLASTIC WRAP over the buttons, to fill the space and form the silicone over the buttons when you press the flat piece of silicone you made previously. You may need to put something that weighs light over it to hold it down. Again, it will need a couple of days to cure. This is because the plastic does not breathe and the silicone needs air to cure. After a couple days, when you remove the plastic wrap with the silicone on it, from the MR1 you should have a perfectly formed silicone cover of the button area. Remove the plastic wrap and trim the silicone to shape. If it is still sticky you may want to allow it to cure another day. TEST without applying silicone, lay the button mold over the buttons and operate the MR1. You want all functions to operate as before. My thought is the silicone is flexy enough to allow the buttons to perform their function. PERMANENT If you feel absolutely sure that this is working as you need it you need to make a decision to glue temp or permanent. I am not sure how long the rubber will stay together, only you can determine that. A TEMP glue down might be to just use a touch of silicone to the edges of the silicone form. It will somewhat protect the buttons and may allow easier disassembly if it is ever needed in the future. PERMANENT glue down is at your own risk. You would glue to fill in all the void and the button surface. Tape around the area just big enough for the silicone form to fit inside the tape, apply the silicone, press down, and carefully remove the tape leaving a clean button surface, which will now be more or less, flat. POSITIVE: the silicone will hold the buttons together, even the cracked pieces. The silicone is flexy so there should be no lost functions. NEGATIVE: If the buttons ever have to be taken out, the silicone would have to be cut off around each button to allow this. Another way, which I have no idea how you could acheive this, would be to use clear silicone and form around each button individually. How you can do this and make it look good, I don't have a clue. Well this is my thought, and I have done some work with clear silicone and this process before so I know it works where I used it before. But I will caution that I did not use it on buttons like these. If you do hazard to try this, it would be at your own peril. No Guarantees here. You are trying to save something that probably should be in a museum and altering it will cause the value to drop. I think if you do everything up to the temp trial, you would be ok, you can throw out the silicone if it does not work well. But let me assure you, PERMANENT is just that. You can remove cured silicone but it is a mess and I can't guess what the surface of the case would look like if you tried. JUST A THOUGHT FOR YOU...... Keep Those MDs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

I started out with the MZ-R50 also. built like a tank. It is still working, still records, still plays. But, as for what have you missed, well SONY has made a few changes along the way. things got better but it took the RH1 or M200 to finally come out with all the enhancements. Sony slapped the name "PROFESSIONAL" on the recorder and sent it out to market. in my opinion the RH1 / M200 are the two very best units SONY ever made, mostly because SONY stopped playing games and did not leave anything out this production. It is the most complete MD recorder/player Sony ever produced and you will really like how it works and sounds. go to the MD community and read the owners manual for the RH1 . M200, it sure does a lot of great things. Good luck Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

I joined the MD users with an MZ-R50 and just kept going. It seems after you have your first unit, there isn't any going back. The Cassette was good in its noisy time but the MD is so much more superior. I did not use SS, I have been old school and always recorded with either the mic or Line in and played line out. I have used the opticle on occasion but generally never need it. My recordings are always very good, even my mic recordings of nature sounds. If you still have your damaged unit, there is a guy on this forum that does repair and may be able to help you. I've known a few people that have the IPUD but they always look like they are so cheap and some have tole me they fall apart or stop working.... I don't know, never had one. Since I do remote recording, the MD has always been great for on the spot editing/recording and I just don't see anything else able to do the same thing. Hope you enjoy the MD as much as you did in the past. Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

MiniDisc is in a sort of NederWorld where sort of just exists. The MD following continues to use the format and are very happy with it while those not aware that it ever existed ( they are out there, I have been asked what I have in my hand and when I tell them a MiniDisc, they want to know what that is ) thanks to SONYs very sparce or lack of advertising. As far as MiniDisc availability goes, the PROFESSIONAL DISCS are already out of production. They are on store shelves at a price of about $6.99 each and are being sold as first come, first served. I think at that price, they will be available for awhile. SONY still produces the Premium GOLD MDW80PL and as far as I know the Neige MiniDiscs. VICTOR is also producing an 80 minute disc in two versions. I don't know of any other company making them but they dropped the MiniDIsc long before the TSUNAMI hit Japan. This brings on interesting thoughts as TASCAM has at least 3 new decks out now. One is a professional unit and the other two are Pro but more affordable for the consumer. The hitch is TASCAM does not make MiniDiscs themselves, having to depend on SONY or some other manufacturer to supply the discs. It really does not make sense that a company like TASCAM would go into design and manufacture without knowing that there would be a supply of MiniDiscs for their product. This is a scene that will have to be watched and see how it plays out. Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

Well MiniDisc users, we are seeing time once again pull at the strings of SONY or shall I say the bean counters are looking for ways to recoup money. Look at this artical and also look at the comments. http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/22/sony-pulls-the-plug-on-8mm-video/ By the comments, this was again another format that the users liked and it performed well as a piece of equipment, does this sound familiar??? I heard that the leaders of SONY were not the learned engineers of old time SONY but accountants who make decisions by dollar signs and graphs. Well, it shows by the decisions that SONY has been making to abandon various products. Not to mention the huge laptop battery recall. If it seems SONY is not in friendly waters, its because they seem to be making some bad decisions. Whether abandoning the users of the 8mm video format is a good choice or not is something SONY will have to live with. But it seems they are orphaning quite a few products that were in the buyers eye as a useful convenient tool. Things have become quiet about the restoration in Japan and one might think this announcement may be for SONY to rebuild a damaged facility for production of another type of equipment. This makes one wonder if SONY is really in as good of shape as a company as they once were. Time will tell.... Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning, WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

Absolutely INSANE!!! But understand, the clerk told me they were scheduled to be destroyed...... SONY no longer gives them a value at the SONY STOREs. Keep Those MDs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

Keep Those MDs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

NEVER HAPPEN... the Minidisc has a lot of technology in them and there are a lot of collectors that still use the MINIDISC technology. As long as there are discs out there, the Minidiscs will be there because of the features, portability and editing functions. There has been nothing like it. Ebay is an auction, might as well be a casino, so the items get bid on. Minidiscs still have a high desire by those who know, and so the bids go up. THE BEST PRICE will be found by private parties. Some just want to get their money back or come close and may throw in a mic and some discs. Ebay will be high because its like gambling, " If I bid one more time, I may win it ".... but they just keep bidding util the end of the auction. Prerecorded discs are now too expensive. The sellers are buying up everything they can get there hands on, tripple the price and put on ebay to make a fast buck. Unless you really really want that prerecorded MD, I would let it go. Again, I would look for a private party if the sellers havent already bought them up. AS far as the MiniDisc equipment taking up space on a Junk Shop shelf, don't think you will see it in your lifetime. A lot of former MD users keep coming back, digging their MD equipment out of the closet and using again. It is really quite interesting how this is turning out. I thought that the hard core MD users would hang on and the rest would fade away but it seems they come back and are happier with the MD than the other equipment. Just my viewpoint but still a curious turn around. I have read at least a few articles where the messages said the Ipud was not holding up or broken or malfunctioning, coming apart, etc and said they were again using the minidisc equipment. So the JUNK SHOP SHELF just does not seem to be the direction the minidisc is going. At the very least, it will fade away with this generation, remembered as a great recording medium and very flexible and portable recording hardware. Those that are really into the MD will remain there and those that moved on, which everyone will eventually do, due to becoming obselete, will remember them as well. But the MiniDisc will remain a viable piece of equipment for a long time. Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

The SONY STORES are taking the HI-MD discs off the shelf. The store near me took them off a year ago and they were at the warehouse. They were going to destroy them. I had come to the conclusion to start buying them from the SONY STORE at 6.99 each and get a stash built up. When I could not find them I asked one of the sales people about it. They were not sure and sent the manager over. He told me they were moved to the warehouse. I asked if they would sell them and what the price was. He said he had to check and a day or so later called. He had about 125 of them and they were going to let me buy them at under cost each.... My suggestion is to talk to the manager at the Sony Store and see if they still have them at all, even at the warehouse. Give it a shot, you never know. Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

Well the article is OLD OLD OLD, it may be reposted today, but the message is the same. I am glad to hear that the discs are still being continued as for the equipment, I have not seen any other than the RH-1 and the M-200. If there is anything else out there with the SONY tag, its a surprise to me. Tascam is making units, they are the only one I know of. And considering the back luck I had with my SONY decks, they probably SHOULD STOP MAKING DECKS. They are JUNK!. This is probably what the buying public thought as well. Sonys name has been getting tarnished for awhile now and the fact that their advertising, at least on the MD product, Diminished to nearly none, is it really a surprise that minidisc is lost in popularity??? Oh I know you hard noses will try to say the IPUD has won, get over it but I prefer a piece of equipment that is built well, such as the MINIDISC walkmans. I keep reading reports where the users of IPUDS are unhappy because they stop working or they fall apart and yet the MINIDISC walkman keeps right on spinning. As for finding the Minidiscs, all I can say is beware of EBAY, I don't think it is a good place to buy from and I loathe PayPAL, having had my problems caused by them in the past. I don't suggest you use PayPAL at all. Minidiscs are still available mail order or web at decent prices, but you have to find them. And be aware that SONY is not producing huge numbers of discs so don't be surprised if you are on a back order for a month or so if you order any sizable quantities. Victor has been the other minidisc producer and as far as I know, is still producing discs. Though there may be others, I know of no other manufacturer that is still in production of the MD. AS for SONY to " manufacture some MD decks ", like I said I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY IN YEARS. Maybe they are still clearing out their warehouses but I don't know where they are selling them. Even the web stores are void of SONY minidisc equipment. The MiniDisc was/is a great tool for most of us and still offers functions for a portable device that was unheard of. Time marches on and so does technology and the normal phase out should have been the advent of video. Obviously the SONY Minidisc player with the LCD screen may have been a forerunner of this only to be deemed too far ahead of its time. Now SONY has thrown in the towel and succombed to the IPUD, just as they did when they stopped making BETAmax and made VHS equipment. It was all MONEY considerations and both were the direct fault of really bad marketing. Get into the habit of making your master recordings on CD and make compliations on the MD discs. You can save what you like or erase and record a new compliation. This will help you save your minidisc stash and keep the Minidisc that we all enjoy in service for a long time. Don't forget to get a couple of batteries, especially the weird ones. Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning, WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

When Sony abandoned the MD user world, the price of the pre-recorded went sky high. Ebay sellers are buying them up like crazy at the lowest price they can find and are selling them for as much as they can get ( without holding a gun to your head ). The MD recorders are going to raise in price due to supply and demand, and maybe some clever bidding, it is hard to know if the seller is bidding against you, but I would not be surprised. Disc supplies will dwindle if Sony has stopped production. I can't say if they did or did not cease production, I just have not heard any news since the Tsunami/Quake. There are still ware house supplies and store stock out there. Let me tell you the future, the cost of the MD recorders, MiniDisc and Pre recorded MiniDisc will go up. Supply will go down as former MD users abandon the MD format for the cheapo IPUDs. Maybe I just don't get it, the MD recorders seem better built, easier to use, Sound fabulous and you can edit on the run?? My understanding of the sound quality compared to the Ipud was not as good, is this old news? I read a forum message saying they got tired of the IPUD because they kept falling apart and they went back to MiniDisc..... Makes it confusing why one would change at all, seems to me...... to each their own Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning

I don't know much about the cloud but if you are storing your music on a web site ( cloud ), doesn't it cost you in MB not only to up load but also to down load?? even if you listen, you are charged in MB from your provider. is that smart? Just asking... Keep those MD's Spinning

Tape online is pricing the 80 minute sony Gold at 1.95. If you think that is a good price, go for it. TapeStockOnline is offering the 80 minute sony Gold at 1.52 each or 1.42 at 25 piece package bundle. Tape Online used to be my source util they raised the prices of the discs. Now they can choke on them. Keep those Minidiscs spinning. UPDATE: 07/07/2011 Well if this is to be believed, then discs are still in production.... Keep Those MiniDiscs Spinning! WHY ELSE ARE YOU HERE?

Keep Those MDs Spinning... Why else are you here?

I have a recorder hooked up to the computer. The computer has recognized it as a hard drive. This comes in handy when the computer ignores the USB connections. I do have some drivers on a HiMD disc for when the CD is not available.... ( I was hit hard by viruses a couple times and the computer came back missing a lot of stuff one time, the HiMD saved me. So why would I, because I can and because the computer thinks it is a hard drive. Go figure. Well welcome back. We MD'ers appreciate the technology and use it for the great sound reproduction and of course, ease of recording. ( I don't use sonic stage so I never have had any problems recording ). Keep those MDs Spinning... Why else are you here?

Wow coming back to MiniDiscs after the IPUD revolution.... lolol You know class when you see it...lololoolol There are a lot of MiniDisc machines listed at the MiniDisc Forum, our former home for the forum. http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-M200+RH1.html http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-E520.html This should start you off. One unique thing about the HI MD recorders is they can giver you 1 gig of disc space for data storage, not a big deal but few mention its availbility. If you format the 80 or 70 minute disk in a hiMD recorder, it will give you 12 hrs ( I think ) but will not play in the non HiMD recorder until you format back to normal 70 or 80 minute discs. normal 70 and 80 minute discs will play on the HiMD recorder but Hi MD discs will never play on a non HiMD recorder. Go to the website for all the options, it just goes on and on.... the true nature of a superior product... Welcome to the fold... Keep those MDs Spinning... Why else are you here?

AS of a couple months ago, SONY was still shipping 80 minute discs from Japan. The suppliers were telling me the discs were still in production. Then comes the terrible earthquake that destroyed Japan...... I talked to a supplier and he said he had no word from Japan about production but he did say that the plant was in the center of the epicenter. How this is reading to me is, IF the plant was not damaged, SONY MIGHT go back into production after they get the rest of the business going. who know when that will be. IF the plant cannot get supplies to make the discs, production will be stalled, possibly indefinately. If the plant and equipment to make the MDs was damaged, I would not expect to see production again. There is a lot of stock in the stores yet. HOWEVER, I have noticed that some of the stores are starting to increase the prices. Obviously assuming the worst from Japan. EBAY has MD discs but I find the sources questionable and they only take PayPal, which I have had horrid problems with. It would be a good idea to get some stock of MD discs if you want to remain in the MD users club. It is highly possible that the source of MD discs will dry up. except for the ones that are grossly overpriced of which I hope they choke on them. Sorry, I know it is a matter of supply and demand but sometimes I think they take it too far. Keep those MDs spinning... Edit ( 05-24-2011 ) Well I keep reading stories of how the MiniDisc is dead and I do find some joy at all the MD users come out and counter the article and sometimes the writer as some of his reasons for the " death of MD " are off the wall. There are many articles because it seams everyone needs to put their voice in the pool, kinda like kicking a dead horse, wouldn't you say? Only it seems to me, the MD is still alive and well. Or is it? Alive and well because Tascam is continuing to release MD recorders for the studio and a recent update is an CD/MD recorder. Probably because the CD can continue to be used when the MD discs run out. But I have been concerned with the MDisc availability. I don't know for sure, but the TasCam units may have depended on the professional MD to be available for some time, as it turns out, the professional MD ( 80 min and usually about $6.00 each ) have been discontinued. Only the stock on the shelves is being sold and when that is gone, thats it for the Pro MD. Now they might be able to use the MDW80PL, Sonys Premium GOld MD, it was still in production in Japan up untill the Earthquake and Tsunomi hit but whether they will continue production now is in the air, I don't know if the manufacturing bldg was damaged or just shut down due to lack of power or if they will even resume production on the MD media. So where will that put the TasCAM units???? They'd better have a supply of MD's stored away. Now we are seeing the sellers raise prices of the MD's, my favorite supplier, TapeONLINE raised the price from 1.59 to 1.89 on the MDW80PL. ButI found a lower price else where but I have see prices up to $15 Each on the web.... nuts to them. They are truely taking advantage of a bad thing. Sometimes the law of supply and demand should be ignored or they might get stuck with a lot of discs.... lol Well my thoughts Keep those MD's spinning

>>>>>> Makes sense, especially 10 years ago, for digitizing purposes. But, why did you aim to finish the 'production cycle' in CD (instead of stopping at MDs)? Just wondered. mdmad. <<<<<<< AS long as we are enjoying MDs, it is not dead. But usage of the MD is a bit different today. It is still the best for mobile and travel. But your masters should be CDs. then compile your music of choice to MD for your traveling pleasure. Keep your recording in a file or erase and make another compilation from your CD masters. The MD is an easy to use device that goes everywhere with us. I am hearing talk of the IPUDS not holding up for travel and such, seems they are falling apart. sheesh! I know where I had only a MD recording, you CAN save it by recording on line out to CD for a record but you wont be able to get a good recording on a MD again from that CD. Keep those MDs Spinning ... EDIT ( 05-24-2011 I just wanted to mention that the MDs are not just available thru EBay, nasty little company. Many Tape and media suppliers still have them even today. This includes the 80 minute and Hi Mds though it seems the media suppliers like to sell the 80 minute discs and not the HiMD but some will offer HiMD. The Sony Professional disc that sold for over 5 dollar each is indeed discontinued, Sony Stopped production about 6 months ago and they are sold on a " as available " basis, meaning as long as they are on the shelf, they are available. All this was true up to the earthquake/Tsunomi in Japan. I have not heard if Sony will resume MD media production or just take it as a loss and move on. Now don't you think it is odd, that there is such a community, as the MD Community with all the MD units and yet SONY says they were a non-issue in the US. True, US sales were sluggish for many reasons, including SONYS blindsidedness, But there are a lot of MiniDisc units in the US for a Non Issue Country. to be continued''' Keep those MD's spinning, why else are you here?

Well Hey, OTHERWISE FINE... lololol Keep those MDs Spinning...

Obviously you know the M200 is a great machine, even with SONY adding "PROFESSIONAL QUALITY" to it. Supposedly SONY was aiming at the Commercial market, but I guess they did not count on us. There are a lot of us using and happy with the MD machines. An extra machine is not a bad idea but make sure you have some extra discs to support it as well. Keep those MDs spinning ...

Yea, I started with the MRZ50, what a tank... It still does a lot of my recording and playback. I have upgraded as well and I like the HiMD ability to record as a data disc from the computer. I have read a couple articles where the owners still use the MD extensively and complain that they had an IPUD but it did not hold up and considered it a waste of money... Well thats what they said. They went on that the MD was working as well as the day they bought it and they use it for traveling as well and that they hold up to the abuse of travel. I agree wholly.... Now I am sure some IPUD users, former MD folk might not like the comment but hey, I am just the messenger and besides, even though SONY gave up on probably one of the best products they ever produced ( wink ) They are still strong her on the forum, and several other places I have been reading about too. Keep those MDs spinning...

Some of the new cars have the radios integral to the computer security systems. You have to watch what you are doing or you might not be able to start your car. Then again some of the new radios have a plug for input. I like the radio that came stock in my car so I bought one of those RF devices, you plug in the MD recorder, turn it on and tune the radio to the freq it transmits on. It sounds alright. I have an MD changer for the RV, plugs into the SONY radio, My library of music increases and sounds Sooo good when traveling. Really, CDs are too big to bring along and they can format if they get too hot in the sun, goodbye expensive cd recording.... Copy to a MD an d you can always make another recording. No IPUD for me....Keep those MDs spinning...

My use of the MD units has grown rather than slowed down. The IPUDS don't seem to hold up, getting knocked and vibration from a car or bike takes them out. The MiniDisc seems to keep on going and the sound remains the best. My method of recording has changed, where I might record to a MD in the past, I record to CD for my MASTER and I make compilations on my MD. These compilations may remain in the library for years or I may erase them and record another compilation. I don't use Sonic Stage. I heard of too many problems so I record with the line in. Not A Problem ONE! EVER! I gave up on SONY MD Decks. I could not keep them working and Sony fixes them and they go bad with the first MD I attempt to play. I found a Tascam MD recorder dec that I use for recording and playing at home. I am amazed and shocked, well not shocked, at all the people I talk to that want to know what I am holding. When I tell them it is a MiniDisc recorder, they ask what that is. Man SONY really missed the boat in advertising if these people don't even know what it is. Then I let them listen to my head set and they insist I am listening to a radio. I have to take the disc out to prove it is a MD. Of course, people will ask what else it can do and I give them the speil, recording, editing, moving song tracks, fast selection, etc, sometimes its more information than they can take in. Most are truely amazed at this wonderful little gadget... Some actually ask where they can find one for themselves. lolol Guess the IPUD isn't all that, huh? My MiniDisc units will be used as long as I can record and play the discs. They are perfect for travel, are built well for mobil use and the sound quality, as we know, is excellent, but then, I don't have to tell you, right? Keep those MDs Spinning... Why else are you here?