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Review: I'm a newcomer to minidisc, and I decided to wait for the Hi-MD format to become available before buying. I wasn't disappointed! The battery life is excellent - I run it using 2300MaH rechargable batteries and get many hours of use between charges. The sound quality is very good too, even in the LP mode on a Hi-MD formatted Minidisc. In this mode, I've managed to store about 9 albums on a standard Minidisc. The SonicStage software is a little disappointing - the "40 seconds to transfer a CD" claim sounds good, but if you plan to transfer MP3 files, expect it to take a lot longer than that - on my (rather slow) PC, it takes about 2 minutes per song. Also, tracks that you upload from minidisc to PC are saved in Sony's proprietary .omg file format, which only their software can read. Rumours abound that Sony are planning to release an OpenMG-to-WAV converter soon, which should fix this. Finally, a warning: the new 1Gb Hi-MD discs are not yet available in the UK (August 2004). If you want to get your hands on Hi-MD media, go for one of the more expensive models in the range, which all come with a free 1Gb disc. | 
Audio HiFi
