Hi-MD vs. Ipod?

[TurnItOut]

I currently have a mz-n707 and was considering checking out an Ipod. Then sony had to come up with this new Hi-MD to confuse my decision even more. Other than removable media, can someone list a few pros or cons as to which unit is better. I.e. AAC vs. Atrac3

Thanks

[onlykaria]

First to me, what matters is the sound not the format, because as always the original file format remains on your puter, so your music will always be accessable to you. It was not until yesternday that i heard any difference between LP2 and LP4 , am i have had my unit since nov 2002.so my ear is not the best and i wont go into sound differences.

iPod...

pluses: :love:

Cool Factor 10/10

Interface 9/10

HDD 7/10 (other makes of HDD player offer more GBs for less money)

Solid Third Party support 8/10

Size: iPod 7/10 iPodmini 10/10

Seemless connect to iTunes Music store 10/10

Software 10/10

Can be used as a Hard Drive 8/10

NEUTREL

Requires WinXP or 2K (no ME or 98 support here)

Requires USB 2.0 or Firewire, (no 1.1 support)

BAD

Versitility 1/10 (limited colors, even though i am a lesbian i dont what my player to be in neither white nor the pride colors. )

On the Fly Recording 1/10 (no native line in, mic ect)

Battery issues 1/10 (sorry but paying $49-$99 to replace the battery does NOT turn me on)

MORE battery issues. 1/10if you forget to charge your unit or havent pluged in to your computer in a while and your on the subway, you may under up with a (briefly) dead iPod

PRICE 3/10 $249 for 4GBs??? WTF??/

OVERALL NOT AVERAGE 7/10 (unless money is NOT an issue than its 9/10)

Hi-MD

pluses: :love:

media 10/10 (small, lightwieght, high capacity and cheap!! :love:)

Can be used as a Hard Drive 9/10 (higher than iPod only because you can GIVE the disc to someone so they can upload data/pic whatever thats on the disc. sort of as a floppy disc replacement.

Cool Factor 8/10

Solid Third Party support 8/10

Size: 8/10

Seemless connect to iTunes Music store 10/10

Versitility 13/10 (looks to be the most versitile units on the market)

On the Fly Recording 10/10

PCM uploading 8/10 (not sure if it'll be .wav or sony only format)

Battery 9/10 (most units have AA rechargables)

Media price 10/10

NEUTREL

Software --/10 (i have not used the SS2 software sorry)

Interface --/10 (i have not used the SS2 software, but Hi-MD units do appear to have 3 line displays :cool: )

Support for ME and 98SE 5/10 (i have win98SE)

BAD

price 3/10 the intro level units est. cost is $200 (no line or AC adaptor) WTF??

Support 3/10 in america sony will be your only option

Transfer 1/10 No USB 2.0 or Firewire

Atrac3plus = preprietry (sp?). 1/10

NO seemless music store (YET) 4/10 (sony has one on the way though)

OVERALL NOT AVERAGE 8/10.

in conclusion, if versitility is NOT an issue iPod maybe for you. if it IS, however the minidisc is best.

so i hope that helps.

[Guest Anonymous]

I do not agree with the layout given above. Versatility or whatever, this is a superficial judgment. The MD and the iPod are fundamentally different things, and you should choose according to what you NEED.

As someone who has both a Minidisc and an MP3 player, here are the strong points of each:

MiniDisc

* FAR SUPERIOR SOUND QUALITY

* Replaceable media

* Hi-quality recording

* A more complete audio device - it's more like a digital tape recorder than an audio player, only much smaller

MP3 Player

* The device for the casual listener, who isn't too picky about sound quality.

* Support for the MP3 format directly - downloaded files play directly from source.

* More convenient in transferring audio from the PC.

So what it comes down to is what you need. If sound quality is important to you, then there is no question: the MD's ATRAC wins hands down, and is way superior to MP3 (not to mention that Hi-MD will introduce linear PCM quality recording, which is basically like a CD recorder only much smaller in size and bigger in capacity ). Also, if you need to record as well as listen, there is no question. But if all you want is to listen to MP3's you download from the internet, then I'd say get an MP3 player... Although I wouldn't get the iPod. It's way to expensive for the feeble things it offers.

Though, having said that, with the introduction of the Hi-MD that balance will probably change some, as the storage capacity factor comes into play. The iPod offers four GB for storage. Hi-MD will offer 1GB per disk. That means that with a mere 4 minidiscs you already catch up with the iPod's capacity, with better sound quality. I carry somewhere between 10-15 minidiscs in my bag at any given time with no effort whatsoever... That's a lot of storage!

But still, it comes down to what you need. The MD does not play MP3 files, to download MP3's to the MD they must be converted to ATRAC. Even though that function is seamlessly performed by the software without you ever knowing about it, it does bulk up the process of downloading files to the MD. If sound quality is important to you, you can afford to wait a couple of extra minutes for the download. However, the superior sound quality is only there when downloading from a non-MP3 source, such as a CD. When you download MP3's their already inferior sound quality, of course, will not improve.

As I said, I have both an MD and an MP3 player. If I had to choose, I would throw out the MP3 player in a heartbeat. I'm a musician and I use the MD extensively aside from using it to listen to music on the go. But when the NetMD came into the scene and I got one, I stopped listening to the MP3 player and now it's just dusting in my drawer. The MP3 quality is not enough for me, plus I love the interface of the MD. So for me there is no question what to get, as soon as the Hi-MD is available I'll get it. Instant uploading of my recodings is a priceless feature that is well worth the price of the MZ-NH900 for me.

My two cents.

[darkfusion]

MiniDisc

* FAR SUPERIOR SOUND QUALITY

* Replaceable media

With most of the "big name" HDD DAP's out at the moment, you have a choice of recording in WAV format, or even FLAC and other lossless compressions. Also, DAP's usually have a much more powerful amp than most MD's.

The bottom line is, MiniDisc is lossy - even in realtime (SP) but with a DAP you have the option to go lossless or uncompressed. Therefore, I don't think you can count far superior sound quality at all...

Also, the replacable/external media is not a plus for some people, I know for a fact some people would prefer to have all their music on one small device than having a bunch of discs they have to shift through to find the one they want to listen to.

Don't get me wrong, I love the MiniDisc format and all, but I cannot agree with that statement.

[mAjEsTiC]

the only flaw with my iPods IMO is that they don't have enough protection for the hdd...drop it and the hdd fails...>< (had this happen to me once...)

[darkfusion]

the only flaw with my iPods IMO is that they don't have enough protection for the hdd...drop it and the hdd fails...>< (had this happen to me once...)

True, there are obviously con's to having all your media on one device, but there are also pro's that make it worthwhile and worth the risk. I'd say the iPod is pretty fragile though, especially when compared to the Rio Karma and iRiver iHP-XXX. I've never dropped mine but it doesn't seem as though it could take anywhere near as much damage as any of my MD's.

Like I said, everything has it's good and bad points, but I just don't agree with the sound quality thing.

[mAjEsTiC]

well the sound output i reckon is loud...much louder than that of my Sharp player due mainly to the higher amp that they employ...sound quality is so so...i reckon MD's are better still but it's not bad...

[darkfusion]

well the sound output i reckon is loud...much louder than that of my Sharp player due mainly to the higher amp that they employ...sound quality is so so...i reckon MD's are better still but it's not bad...

So you reckon an SP recorded MD on a portable sounds better than WAV (uncompressed) on an iPod?

...it all depends on the bitrate really. I know for a fact I've yet to hear an MD that sounds better than WAV on the 'pod. Although of course as we've already discussed, MiniDisc has many pro's over DAP which is why I still use and love the format! In fact, I haven't used my iPod in weeks...

mmmm, Auvi! :love:

[TurnItOut]

Thanks for all the input, I have had my MD for about 3 years now and this little thing can take a beatin..as for sound comparisons, I think I have an above average ear for sound quality and have to admit SP and LP2 are pretty friggin close to a lossless wav file. The point about having all your media on one device has convinced me that the MD is the way to go. I still utilize open MG software as a back up in case I trash a disc.

I guess my concern is when the new HI-MD comes out, will my archive of music still be supported by this new player? I.E. Will I be able to transfer the older format to the new discs?

Again, thanks for all the input.

[The_Stamp]

nope, you gotta either re-export them to hi-md or upload to the pc via analog, then export to hi-md. not very lenient, i know.

[Christopher]

I like to point out that iPod's have a 30mW output compared a usual standard of 5mW for most current MD and Hi-MD units. I've heard from a good number of people that iPod's sound "flat", but I've yet to even touch or hear one myself. Any iPod owners care to speak about this a little more?

[darkfusion]

I like to point out that iPod's have a 30mW output compared a usual standard of 5mW for most current MD and Hi-MD units. I've heard from a good number of people that iPod's sound "flat", but I've yet to even touch or hear one myself. Any iPod owners care to speak about this a little more?

Are you sure they didn't say the iPod sounds best flat? (as in no EQ) :wink:

[Christopher]

Are you sure they didn't say the iPod sounds best flat? (as in no EQ)  :wink:

Not sure, you own the iPod and a MD unit, which one sounds better to you? :rasp:

[Guest Anonymous]

With most of the "big name" HDD DAP's out at the moment, you have a choice of recording in WAV format, or even FLAC and other lossless compressions. Also, DAP's usually have a much more powerful amp than most MD's.

Oh right. And how much music are you going to get into an HDD device in WAV format?.. Two hours? Three? With the Hi-MD, you can get 1.5 hours of PCM audio on one tiny disc.

About the amp - from personal experience I had an opposite view of things. The MD amp is, in my opinion, always MUCH better than all MP3 players I've encountered (including the iPod). Even the amp of the old MZ-R70 I once had was better than the latest iPods. Once, in a half-improvised studio I was working at, we used my R70 as a through device when recording to DAT - because it gave the sound more body. Seriously! Sony always managed to surpass everyone in sound quality and clarity of their portable devices. It dates back to the old cassette walkman.

[Guest Anonymous]

Oh right. And how much music are you going to get into an HDD device in WAV format?.. Two hours? Three? With the Hi-MD, you can get 1.5 hours of PCM audio on one tiny disc.

40gb iPod would hold approximately..., ((40000 megabytes/650 megabytes per CD)*74 minutes per CD) minutes, which is about 76 hours. Rough estimate, not exact by any means.

But really the argument is kinda like comparing a minivan to a sports car. Of course there are advantages to each, but it all depends on what the consumer wants.

I do wonder whether Sony could replace CDs with Hi-MD though...

[The_Stamp]

I do wonder whether Sony could replace CDs with Hi-MD though...

I dont think so. Sony and another company are competing for (yet) another high quality cd format, holding more info at a higher bitrate... just great, im gonna have to buy the beatles albums all over again

[Guest Anonymous]

I have just got an ipod in conjunction to being a heavy md user.

ipod is better for every day listening and taking to uni as a storage device copy your work, download movies from bittorent etc..

but ipod is a hdd which means thats bad!

md is tougher, and the simple fact that it records is the only reason i have not chucked the whole md recording system in the bin

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay, I know, it's getting old and it's not as small as Hi-MD recorder/player but still, it's a very nice HDD MP3/WMA/WAV player with 20 or 40gig HD.

- High audio quality: 98dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio Playback

- Frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz

- Maximum output 100mW

- Analog/Optical Line-In for direct high quality recording from external audio devices

- Firewire (IEEE 1394) and USB 1.1 Transfer

So with one device, you can have all the MP3 you want, at high bitrate (256 or 320 kbps) because you have lots of space, so good quality sound. And you can still record with the line/optical input in WAV or MP3.

No need for SonicStage, no need to convert your MP3 to Atrac.

That's the player that I have and it rocks! :cool:

[jonny]

 

Hi-MD

pluses: :love: 

Can be used as a Hard Drive 9/10 (higher than iPod only because you can GIVE the disc to someone so they can upload data/pic whatever thats on the disc. sort of as a floppy disc replacement. 

Use as a hard-disc? what? I don't know why they even bothered with this feature. When I want a disc I want it to:

1) use it wherever I want and don't have to care about admin rights or whatever - MDs (and iPod) -> no way I'm sure you will have to be root or something to install necessary drivers and simpleburner

2) transfering serious files - I currently use 20GB usb1 disc and the usb1 is slow as win95 on 386. You think that I want more than 12 Mb/s? Well I do atually, but the point is that with usb1 you can't get that speed. 12 Mb/s translates to 1.5MB/s exactly, but transfer rates for my disc are more like 0.6-1 MB/s (depending on number of files) and i guess MDs won't do faster. And believe when you are trying to move 500megs it's so so but for larger files you'd better be very patient.

At first I was very excited about HiMDs but now I think I will stick to my current gear.

[mAjEsTiC]

well MD's and HDD based players are targetted at a different audience...so it's not really that fair to compare them directly...it just will depend on the user's needs...i use an iPod for storage and the MD for recording...that's how i see that both products are being used effectively...but i've been kinda annoyed at my iPod's hdd failing just recently so i spose they need to have more protection around it...

[t10]

What's the point of having 1000 hours of music on your Ipod when the battery only lasts 6-7?

All you MD users, how often do you charge your MD's?

See? You had to think about it, since you do not do it that often. Heck, sometimes I charge my MD just once a month, and I listen to it for at least an hour, 5 days a week.

Being able to take files from one PC to another, is great and all, but how often do you need to do it? Plus remember that, you would also need to have cables on you all the time.

Apple, make Ipod Mini no bigger than MZ-E10, make sure it has at LEAST 30 hours of playback time on one charge, and add FireWire to it or USB 2.0, and I will be all over it like a fat kid over cheesecake.

But for now, its MD for me.

BTW, onlykaria; you gave Ipod a cool factor of 10, and an MD of 8 ?! Dude what are you on. Latest MD's are a pinnacle of art and technology. People wow when they see my MD swallow a minidsc when the player is pretty much same size as the minidisc itself. Plus all these technology tarded people now getting Ipods. I was given a 15gig Ipod for my birthday, and I can defenatelly tell you that MDs have far greater coolness factor than Ipods.

[anont]

What's the point of having 1000 hours of music on your Ipod when the battery only lasts 6-7?

...

BTW, onlykaria; you gave Ipod a cool factor of 10, and an MD of 8 ?! Dude what are you on. Latest MD's are a pinnacle of art and technology. People

I can't talk on my cell phone for 6-7 hours, either. You have to charge it up overnight. It's a definite pain when travelling, but so is having to carry around boxes of MDs - both players have their problems and advantages.

MDs are cool? When people see I have an MD, I get comments like "hey, they still make those things?"

[Rumz]

One of these days I'll try out an iPod so I can more objectively comment on this debate. For now, I do have an HDD player and yes, even though it typically gets 14 hours or so of battery life, that's still a gripe of mine that it uses a Li-ion battery that must be charged (love using AAs with MD).

20-40gigs is dandy for those of you that would not fill it up-- but myself, I would find running out of space on an HDD player more inconvenient than having to haul around a "box" of MDs (meh, how about an MD wallet?) and yes I would run out of space on an HDD unit.

The sound quality debate-- whoever threw FLAC and WAV into the debate, well seeing as we're talking about Hi-MD and not regular MD... Here's my 2 cents. Battery life is going to be even worse if you're playing wav files on your HDD player because it's going to be reading from the hard drive more often. This also puts more wear and tear onto the HDD-- but in general I think we have yet to learn just how detrimental listening to wavs on an HDD player would be. I'm not sure what the point is anyways... surely there's a codec that you can use at a high enough bit rate that sounds "good enough" for portable use, no? In any case, if you must have lossless, Sony does let us have Linear PCM now-- I'll be interested to try an Auvi 1-bit digital amp + Linear PCM

Also, it's true-- the iPod easily has a more powerful amp than any MD unit I've ever seen. MD may be loud enough for many but the power of the amp doesn't necessarily equate to volume as I've noticed it also equates to the quality of sound reproduction. I'm tempted to say I'd still take an 8mW auvi amp over the 30mW iPod amp, but that's just because I usually like some EQ and also haven't had a chance to try the iPod yet.

Bottom line is what others have said-- both players have their merits and it really depends on your own style/preferences. I'm leaning towards Hi-MD, though, for it's versatility and for Atrac3plus encoding at 256kbps-- better than mp3 and aac, I would wager...

[schugh]

I have been using MD for about 5 years and never believed in MP3 and wouldn't touch an MP3 player if I was offered money. At least till now.

I still have my mz-r90, and m N10 which I will continue wo use and will get a HiMD unit soon after they hit the shelves.

In the meantime, I could no longer ignore the high capacity offerings of MP3 players. I had to try them out. I tried the iPod, Zen Xtra and the iRiver iHP-120. Finally I settled and am getting the iHP-140.

After having listened to my N10 and the same on my iRiver encoded with either ogg vorbis or mp3 lame, the N10 does not have any advantage in sound quality. They all sound wonderful. The iPod and the Zen also sounded wonderful. I know everyone has their own hearing and hears differently but some people say that the MD has far superior sound. This is simply not the case. There may be differences, and you are free to like one representation over another but to say the MD is far superior is not right.

For me the MD was not meeting a specific need which I had been ignoring thinking I will not get the sound quality. Well that is no longer the case. The issue for me is that I like to have as much of my music with me as I can so I can pick something with my mood. With the iRiver I have less chance of forgetting a favourite at home when I head out to work.

Also, I can simpy rip any new CDs I buy and some existing CDs as WAVs and I am good for a while. Even with MDs I always would pick a few CDs to take with me to work. Now my CDs remain safe at home. I have about 1500 CDs in my collection, growing at a steady clip, and I can't put them all to a MD because of the cost, but I can have a large number of my favourites with me all the time on the iRiver.

So as other have mentioned they serve different needs. I need both.

So don't just discount the HD players. If you haven't tried out the higher end HD players, then do so. I liberally often take advantage of the 30 day return policy from my local stores to try out new things.

[toolowtwo]

I have a mini iPod and a couple of MD players.

I typically get somewhere around 7 to 8 hours on the battery - plenty for any plane travel I do.

i appreciate having the selection of 700 to 800 songs and maybe a couple of audio books - the sound is extremely good. I typically rip CDs at about 256 or 320 bit rate - highest I can get. As far as i am concerned - no difference.

I have no complaints with the iPod or with the MD - different formats.

If I'm working around the house or in the yard or my shop I usually use the MD ( stuffed in my pocket) and change discs a few times during the day.

[PDOG58]

I do wonder whether Sony could replace CDs with Hi-MD though...

CDs/DVDA and media like those will be around for a long time. I think that if Sony handles this properly, Hi-MD should replace audio cassets. It is far superior to cassettes in amounts of hours you can fit on a disk PLUS it offers random access of songs. If I were Sony, i would really push MD as a format to replace audio cassettes. I know for me, it will.

[Fray Adjacent]

CDs/DVDA and media like those will be around for a long time. I think that if Sony handles this properly, Hi-MD should replace audio cassets. It is far superior to cassettes in amounts of hours you can fit on a disk PLUS it offers random access of songs. If I were Sony, i would really push MD as a format to replace audio cassettes. I know for me, it will.

I think you're definitely right about CD/ DVD formats being around for a while. However, the cassette format is pretty much dead. I mean, you go to stores now, and they don't carry cassettes. The last time I used a cassette was for a demo my band was recording, but that was 5 years ago. I still have a cassette based four track, but using cassette for real listening is just dead.

So with Cassette being dead, it's not around to be replaced. I think the MD should position itself as a versatile media as an alternative to CDs and a reliable removable media format. I plan on using my soon-to-be HiMD recorder for a portable music player, and a way to backup some of my data. Now, I can't back up a LOT, but I could fit my whole website on one MD with room to spare, and all of my pictures on one with room to spare and some utilities and other files on another with room to spare.

What I'd REALLY like to see, eventually, would be a car HiMD deck, and a dedicated data drive that could take the place of the 3.5 FDD.

[PDOG58]

However, the cassette format is pretty much dead.  I mean, you go to stores now, and they don't carry cassettes.  The last time I used a cassette was for a demo my band was recording, but that was 5 years ago.   I still have a cassette based four track, but using cassette for real listening is just dead.

Let me clearify what I meant when I made the comment about it replacing cassettes. There is no doupt in my mind that CDs will be around for a long long time and that cassettes are as good as dead. To me, the problem with Cds are that it isnt always easy to record directly to CD. A lot fo people like to record stuff of the radio or have something portable to record news conferance/interviews/ect. For this, CDs are not always the best option. MD has the ability to do all this, plus it has the added advantage of removable media. Something that a lot of "hard drive" recorders do not. So what you put on a MD can be moved from place to place easily. No matter how great CDs and DVD-As are, there is still a need for media like cassettes. ANd I think MD should be the replacement.

[PDOG58]

SI plan on using my soon-to-be HiMD recorder for a portable music player, and a way to backup some of my data.  Now, I can't back up a LOT, but I could fit my whole website on one MD with room to spare, and all of my pictures on one with room to spare and some utilities and other files on another with room to spare.

I totally agree. My fincee is big into geneology and has a hours of interviews with relatives on tape. I am going to be converting all those interviews onto MD as soon as Hi-MD comes out. Plus, I cant even begin to imagine all the other uses I may have for the format especially since it now can be used as removable media for computers.

[scootaboy]

Here's my two pennys on the whole iPod debate. The one angle I rarely hear discussed is how the sudden availability of a large resource of music effects listening habits.

I listen to my net-md minidisc all day at work and love having 35 or so songs on a disc in LP2 to create the ultimate mix "tape". I then have 5 or 6 or these mixes and over the months have gradually weeded out the songs I don't care for as much, until my minidiscs are overflowing with only the purest musical goodness.

The Hi-Md format offering a gig a disc or increased storage on a regular disc feels like a natural next step for me, allowing me to cover an 8 hour work day with great music.

On the flip-side - everyone I know who has an iPod seems to have more music that they know what to do with at hand all the time, but still somehow seem to get bored of stuff. Furthermore, a lot of iPod users end up skipping through the album "filler" tracks to get to the album "hits", whereas I feel like I've leteraly squeezed my music listening down to the solid gold songs, and then when I want to listen to albums, I can still get 3 full length on one "themed" disc.

Personally I don't feel the need to have that much music at hand all the time. A lot of iPod users I know (here in NYC I'm surrounded by them) are file swapping and literally filling up their new iPods with 20-40Gb of a friend's music collection overnight - is that anyway to cherish music? I feel like every album I bought tells a story, reminds me of a place, and furthermore got the listening it deserved to sink into my psyche / or got ditched as a result. This notion of "aquiring" music seems to be getting lost with the advent of these high-capacity devices.

Just a thought.

[Leland]

Scootaboy, I think you make an excellent point and although I have not entirely ruled out the possibility, this is the key reason why I have not bought an Ipod. Sometimes, it would be nice to have any song on a whim, true. Also, if you filter your music too early, you can miss songs that need time to "grow on you". I don't know how many times I have started with two or three tracks as favorites on an album, then later after playing them to death find others I like more than I ever though I would before. But if you are careful to cull only after giving the music time to "cure", you are correct about having a benefit with a disc containing only "golden" music.

That being said, can't you accomplish the same thing with playlists on the ipod?

[crazeybt1]

WOW..that was a lot of reading .. i must say..i'm pretty enthusiastic about this HI MD format..i anticipate a lot u know things it's gonna be very good cuz i i'm still using my MZN 707..n i record in LP2 (quality factor) but i find myself always recording over disc n walking with a ton of discs. well i'm hoping with this 1gig disc i'll finally be using my group function.

sometin else. debating bout durability that's just dumb..No HDD?MP3 player can be compared to MDs from experience i skate right. been doing it for 9 years i'm not amateur. droped my md countless amount of times (MZ-R70, MZR 500,MG 750 and MZN 707) reason i haven't bought an other since is cuz the well my MZ-R70 still works like a charm n my N707 haning in there the amount of times they've been dropped. ???lost count.. now i'd love to get an MP3 playa where i can do that.

something else i'd like to address what's up with this tons of music thing..i mean we're human..i listen to music 24 hours a day of which probably 5 hours i'm really listening to it some i'm sleeping n the others i'm just not paying attention..y want 1000 hours of music..ok u talk about pullin up hits from a bulk of music...hmm..how many songs can u Love so???? i got uhh..bout 7000 MP3s on my pc. look i hardly ever listen to them..spend most of my time listenin to HIT online radios..get what i'm saying now.. :grin: what they need to do now is intigrate XM satalite radio or something into MDS :laugh:

[mco]

Of course, a continuing negative of current MD offerings (NetMD or Hi-MD) which seem to have been ignored so far are that you are pretty much SOL if you are on a non-PC platform (Linux, Mac).

I love the reliabililty and ease of editing of MD, but it's a dying format and Sony's continual paraoia over copy protection will see its userbase confined to a very small segment of the population compared to MP3. Hi-MD will do little, if anything, to change that, especially at prices at or above offering like iPod.

--mco

[jadeclaw]

Of course, a continuing negative of current MD offerings (NetMD or Hi-MD) which seem to have been ignored so far are that you are pretty much SOL if you are on a non-PC platform (Linux, Mac).

It's a cost decision, based on marketshare. Windows still has 95% of the market in the desktop-segment.

However, don't rule out Linux in the future. Sony is involved in developing of a common Linux-distribution for Asia, especially China and Japan.

And remember, Hi-MD is FAT-formatted, so the data-drive-side should work under Linux as Linux can read FAT-formatted media.

I love the reliabililty and ease of editing of MD, but it's a dying format and Sony's continual paraoia over copy protection will see its userbase confined to a very small segment of the population compared to MP3.  Hi-MD will do little, if anything, to change that, especially at prices at or above offering like iPod.

--mco

Ahemm! *clears throat*

May I disagree?

If MD is a dying format, why has Sony invested Billions of Yen to develop Hi-MD?

In addition, you seem to forget one thing: Japan.

We all know, the japanese consumer is gadget-crazy.

And MD-capable equipment of all sorts is selling there like hotcakes.

Visited the japanese homepage of JVC a short time ago and they have numerous systems with MD. Even twin-drive ones.

Just look here.

Oh, and they have MD-Boomboxes as well.

That doesn't look like a dying format...

[nietzsche]

but there is something that i didn't understand....

the mini iPod have internal battery, and so you have to rechearge it...!

but there is no ac adapter.. you can only from USB?

and if you want to change that's battery... how?

[jadeclaw]

Nietzsche, the iPod has an AC-adaptor included.

But charges through USB or FireWire as well.

See the iPod-Specs

If the battery reaches the end of its lifetime, you have to send it in.

And the running time with one charge is lower than Hi-MD as well...

[nietzsche]

'cause with the minidisc you can take with you another battery and chenge it if the other expire...

but after a lot of times the iPod battery will lose is durability....

[mosschopz]

Totally different things!!

P.S the pod doesnt charge from usb at all only firewire or the ac adaptor included (yes there is one!) usb (2) is just for sync of data

i have a sony MZ-N710 since december 2003 and had a N70 B4 that..i recently got a 3rd gen ipod with 40Gb..i havnt looked at the MD unit for weeks..still love it but wont use it no point..i will always want to play something i dont have with me..cant happen with the pod..(btw majority of music is @ Mp3 192Kbs altough cos there is soo much capacity remaning i am encoding at 320 Kbs now) and with pod i can transfer anything from my pooter or ant pooter in most formats (except wma who cares!) and transfer back to my or any pc..with 9.4 days of continuos music the pod wins hands down and its half full!

its also a fully featured 40 gig removable portable hard drive (if u have a laptop its a godsend) and if u drive alot then an itrip can keep u with tunes till the cows come home!!

but it does have a kack battery life both short term and the overall life (forever i dont think!) although it can be replaced ..its to expensive to take everywhere and it too expensive to buy..plus the apple headphones are gay! (no offence!!)

if u have the money have both! if u dont have the MD and save!

its about what u need they ARE totally different machines

[nietzsche]

i've got a veeery old MD, the mz-r500....!

http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-R500.html

it's non a net MD, 2 years and more with no one problems...

but now i want change! and an hi-md seems to be a good buy!

i used the lp2 function for 2 years, an iPod is too much for me, maybe an mini iPod is good...but here it will be available from july or in october, and i've hear a lot of people with problems....

what's the iPod's quality respect the MD?

and i don't like white colour... i think black is better for the headphones! :laugh:

[crazeybt1]

"jadeclaw" not dying at all...hey kwell looking boombox....neat i tell ya very neat ...the MD media won't die now man...probably back in 96-99 but not now