MiniDisc technology is the best, most overlooked, most versatile, user specific electronica available. Unlike a CD player, you can record. Unlike a cassette recorder, you can record CD quality sound. Unlike an iPod, you can carry your 40 gigs on a few discs. Instead of searching you can be playing, you have your playlist on a disc, never spending hours building and deleting, you have a copy forever, but if you suddenly deside that Depeche Mode dosen't cut it any more, you have a new blank disc (and you can do this a million times per disc, really).

 When you purchase your first MiniDisc appliance you have to buy what you need, of the 3 big offerings, 2 are portable, one is home audio. MiniDiscs (MDs) can be played on special car stereos and PCs but most common are the PLAYER, PLAYER/RECORDER, and DECK. Players are most limiting in that you can only play prerecorded  and discs made on a deck or portable recorder, but are a great accompaniment to a deck or a great investment protection for an expensive portable (dropping a $70 player is better than dropping a $400 recorder). If you don't know much about MDs, make sure your buying a recorder, if that's what you want, many 1st  time buyers get frustrated when they get there new player home and find out that it dosen't record.

 Next is the portable recorder, these guys do it all, well almost. This is really where you have to know your model, if you want to record a concert, lesson, lecture, you will need a mic input. If you would like to put all of Aerosmiths catalog on one disc you will need HiMD, if you want to copy CDs or playlists from your computer, you will need NetMD. If you want to clean up some old vinyl or tapes, you will need analog/optical out on your MD.

 That leaves the deck, this guy is for the audiophile, in that the optical out on your portable might be useless on a $5000 stereo/home theater that dosen't have the optical connection, the deck gives you that connection along with all the control to mix, fade, arrange, title, clean, etc...

 You can purchase a soundcard for your PC with optical connections to connect to your MD, TV, Home Theater, Stereo, Garage Door Opener, what have you. There are PC links to connect non NetMD recorders to your computer. There are pro MD decks for mucicians and DJs. To find out more or to researh a model you are considering go to the MiniDisc Community Portal  : minidisc.org