Newbie In This World Needs Some Advise

[Lance]

Hi,

I'm Lance and I'm gonna buy my first MiniDisc next week, though I still have enquiries. I don't know if I should buy a MZNF610 or a MZNF520. I'm looking for something not too expensive and which supports MP3. I don't wanna convert all my MP3 files to Atrac3 if possible. OTOH, a rechargeable battery would be a plus. I guess I should go with a MZNF610, but I don't know if it supports MP3.

Besides, any idea if both models support Hi-MD of 1 GB? If anyone can solve my enquiries I'd really apreciate. Thanks in advance.

C'ya,

[Stupor]

Hi,

I'm Lance and I'm gonna buy my first MiniDisc next week, though I still have enquiries. I don't know if I should buy a MZNF610 or a MZNF520. I'm looking for something not too expensive and which supports MP3. I don't wanna convert all my MP3 files to Atrac3 if possible. OTOH, a rechargeable battery would be a plus. I guess I should go with a MZNF610, but I don't know if it supports MP3.

Besides, any idea if both models support Hi-MD of 1 GB? If anyone can solve my enquiries I'd really apreciate. Thanks in advance.

C'ya,

←

Don't buy a minidisc player.

Neither 520 nor 610 are HiMDs, they can only use the 80-minute normal minidiscs.

You will have to buy rechargeable batteries separately, as most units don't come with rechargeables ones (except the high-end ones, but their rechargeables are crap, forcing you to buy expensive, proprietory Sony ones)

For most people, a flash player would be better than a minidisc. Here's why:

-all minidisc units require you to convert music to ATRAC format, slowing the process (which is slow to begin with since minidiscs can't write that fast) and wrapping it in a nice blanket of DRM so you can't tranfer it to a second computer

-they are pretty expensive compared to flash players

-a minidisc at LP2 can hold a bit more than 128 MB of mp3 (128kbps), and at LP4 it can hold a bit more than 256 of mp3 (in both cases transcoded to ATRAC) not bad but not great either, especially since LP4 really makes the music sound bad.

-all of the minidiscs "support" it in that they can transcode it to ATRAC, but none have native support (there's a rumour going around that the second generation HiMDs will have it, but they won't be cheap and the earliest you can get them is like October, if the rumour is true)

I have the 520 myself, and the only reason I chose it over flash is because of its remote, which is smaller than any flash player and is the only way I can access my player when biking. If a remote is not a priority for you, then there is really no reason for you to get it.

As a casual music listener, I highly suggest you go check out some 256/512MB flash players by iRiver and others. They will cost the same/less than a 520 and be much better suited for your uses.