Hi. What is the story with this unit?? The Sony page states that it comes with a USB cable for recording from the net. Circuit City states "Includes interface cable to record MP3 files." But Sony doesn't say anything about MP3 files. If I understand this correctly, you can't record MP3 files directly onto an MD, right?? You first have to convert them to standard CD audio or Wave files, no??? If I am right, then Sony got it half right. If it allowed you to store MP3 files on a mini disc, you could get a lot of songs on the disc, or could you?? What would the recorder do, compress MP3 files to ATRAC??? Keep them as MP3 and have the ability to read both ATRAC and MP3?? Or what?? If you compressed MP3 files five more times, it seems to me that they would be so compressed that they would end up sounding like sh!t. On the other hand, in order for an MD recorder to record MP3 files directly, it would have to be a kind of data/music hybrid. MP3 files are computer files. The only reason that there are DVD and and portable CD players that can read MP3s directly has to do with the drive. I'm speculating on the portable CD player. But the Apex DVD player actually contains a standard IDE DVD ROM drive!! That's how it is able to do it. I suppose if they wanted to they could have an interface for attaching it directly to a computer. My guess on the portable CD player is that it is an IDE CD ROM drive mechanism rather then a standard music only one. With the cost of CD ROM drives being so low now a days, it would be nothing to use a CD ROM mechanism instead of just music and still keep the price down. As for the Sony MZR37PSPC, Circuit City Sells it for $199.00. I haven't checked on the net (Sony sells it for $249!!) to see if that price can be beat. But 199.00 for a portable MD recorder without having to go through any rebates etc. is a real price break. The picture even shows that it comes with headphones and a LCD remote. The headphones appear to be the kind of headphone/earbud hybrid. You know, it is ridged, but does not have things that cover your ears. Regards, Larry ----------------------------------------------------------------- To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
