Blogging about moving on from Minidisc

[superboy]

I agree with you, but just to play devil's advocate, I'm going to respond to this from the perspective of the general public:

1. I don't care about large screens / colour screens, or even more display information.

2. I get my Hi-MDs for less than 5€ a piece.

3. Flash memory cards are just too small to be easily manipulated or labeled.

4. I haven't experienced any problems with SonicStage yet.

5. As for a player, for my needs, nothing beats my EHI:

6. Removable battery.

7. Large autonomy.

8. All metal body.

1. Most people DO care about the screen. You are deep in the minority here. Why do you think the ipods screen keep getting better with each generation? That's what people care about.

2. Not a big deal. The HD players come with 30-80 GB drives, and the flash players offer enough space to most users. Remember, we're not dealing with hardcore music people like most minidisc people, just normal people who listen to music while they work out or drive in the car.

3. "Too small" is a good thing for 90% of the people out there. And most people also don't care enough about labeling to affect their choice of mp3 players. Look at digital cameras, do you hear anyone complaining about the xD cards being too small?

4. SonicStage doesn't really have problems, but it's not that great, and it's definitely not as good as itunes. It does the job and the only reason why we use it is because it's the only software that will work with our minidisc player. Nobody who doesn't own a minidisc is going to use sonicstage as their music library organizer/player, or else they're delusional.

5. Maybe so, but that's just because you're a minidisc fan. I'm sure it does the job, but an ipod can do so much more and do it more easily at that.

6. The battery thing is a deal breaker for some people, but not most. I care a great deal about the battery, but most people could care less. Or maybe they care, but not enough to do anything about it. Nobody is going to pick a minidisc player over an ipod because of the battery issue.

7. Autonomy? I don't get it. How is a minidisc any more or less autonomous than an ipod? Whatever your reason is, I'm going to bet that not many people care about this either.

8. All metal body is nice, but again, not a big deal to most people.

There you go, on a practical level, minidisc just doesn't offer anything that significant to people (besides recording, that is). Everything you mentioned are not very key features. They're little, almost insignificant things to most people. We, as minidisc aficionados, care about these little things a great deal, but remember that we're a very small group in the music-listening population. We are somewhat of power users, and most of the population are just casual users. So, to sell more units and be more popular, you need to offer things a casual user will be attracted to like big, colorful screens and stuff. Labeling, removable battery, these are things that people won't even think about until you mention it.

[Sparky191]

I agree with Superboy. I like MD/HiMD have used it for years, but my use now is mainly recording. Many here are too in love with the format to realise its flaws and the good points of other formats because it not something they themselves want. But that doesn't mean those features are not desirable to others or of value in themselves.

If I had something like the NW-800 series but that could record like HiMD that would along the lines of my ideal hybrid. Oh and FM Radio.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Sparky191

[rayzray]

i (rayzray) have eliminated my need for MD's to capture music;; i do it now with DVD Recorders;; the ONLY way to go..

only using MD standards for editing and not tooo much of it lately;;

just like the Mustang Farm up da street here;; i have an MD-Farm in my Heaven..

my Hi-MD 900'zz are solely for music listening ;; NOT recording;; and ,, only when there is absolytely no onther music accesssable at the monent..

even the Hi-MD is not smart enough to get me the LATEST songs out there on it's own;; i would have to coax it..

[Sparky191]

i (rayzray) have eliminated my need for MD's to capture music;; i do it now with DVD Recorders;...

For portable recording?

[rayzray]

For portable recording?

oops;; well i DO have a sort of portable DVD/recording set up i can take out on the road with my Sima;; but,, you're right;; my portable and your portable are miles apart..