Customer Reviews:
 Close, but no cigar February 16, 2005
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Sony has a good idea, poorly executed in this player. First, the sound files are stored in a proprietary format, so that you end up using more space, not less, on your hard drive. Second, the computer interface is glitchy and poorly designed (e.g., why can't you resize the panes?, why must it try to connect with the web after *every* CD?). Those minor problems could be forgiven, however, if the NetMD played songs well. Unfortunately, it doesn't. At the highest fidelity, you can't get but one CD onto each mini-disk - so why bother? At the compressions needed to get the "five hours of music" that they promise, the dynamic range is so severly reduced that most songs sounds as if they are coming through the AM radio of a 1955 BelAire. (Cool car. Lousy radio.) Worse still, when the dynamic range is particularly high (e.g., in opera or really good rock songs), the minidisc "chatters" to itself, so that it sounds as if a thousand crickets have taken residence in your earphones. When all is said and done, including the costs of the minidisks and the player, this is just as expensive as an iPod, which has a superior interface and better sound reproduction. I'd always bought Sony before, but "I won't get fooled again."
 The Best Ever February 16, 2005
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
In December 2001 I purchased Sony's ZS-M35 - the personal minidisc system. CD player on top, mini disc recorder on bottom. This was my introduction into the world of mini discs. This was purchased after my Sony CD player - cassette recorder died. I really abused the heads. It lasted 6 years of heavy use at the office. It still plays cd's and radio but draggggssss on the tapes.
My next in February 2003 was the MZ-E300 minidisc player - you know, the little blue player. Since I am recording in the office, I might as well take some to listen outside the office. It lasted until 2004 when the "hold" button gave out completely. The only thing to do was to throw it out. It did play Normal and LP2.
Getting fancy in February 2004, I ordered the MZ-NE410. This is a very good machine except that it didn't have a line in and I don't download from the internet so the software is useless for me.
In March 2004, I ordered the MZ-N510CK and IT IS A FANTASTIC MACHINE. It has a line in which I use to record in the office.
The 410 is my "player". The 510 is line in/line out from my Dell in my office. I use Real Player. I am a hog for old time radio shows and they come in MP3 format on CDs holding as much as 100 half-hour shows. I plug this cd into my dell, bring up Real Player, press start on Dell - hit record on 510 and let it rip. I record in LP4 so I get 10 half-hour show or 5 hours of whatever using MD80.
I still don't use the software, just MP3 cds and regular music cds to download. I have all the functions sans the software. This is a fantastic machine.
I am thinking of going MZ-NHF800 Hi-MD later on but have to read a lot more about it.
I only buy Sony for music. Not DVD, not television. I have not been disapointed yet.
BEST INEXPESIVE MEDIA PLAYER OUT THERE February 15, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Upon turning 15 last summer i decided to upgrade from cd players and bought myself a Minidisk player. i decided not to blow $300+ on an ipod because, well why bother. I mean i figured the iPod would blow over in a couple weeks. I recieved the Net MD Walkman and took it straight to the computer to get my files off it. The sound from the Minidisc Player is EXQUISITE. i heard little things i had never noticed on the computer before. When I dropped it for the first time it did not skip but kept playing through the song. I was amazed to find that i could run and shake the player without ONE SKIP!! I took it to gym class with me and it accompanied me on the mile run. THIS THING IS AWESOME AND I CAN PROMISE YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED WITH IT!! The sonicstage software is excellent but the whole check in check out thing got a little ANNOYING. Upon recieving an apple powermac for christmas I discovered that the SONICSTAGE software will not work with apple computers. I decided to sing the Minidisc's praises before i head over to the Apple website to order My iPod. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT CHOICE FOR WINDOWS USERS WHO WANT A GOOD INEXPENSIVE MEDIA PLAYER WITH FAST TRANSFER SPEEDS AND EXQUISITE SOUND. 5*****OUT OF 5 STARS I GIVE THIS AN A+
Why Bother? Don't! February 11, 2005
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
Who makes a mini-disc recorder without a mic port?????? And calling it a recorder? Like I don't have 5 million other things I can download music to, I needed a mic port. It looks like it was designed in 1984. Proof you get what you pay for.
 Good hardware, But bad software February 9, 2005
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
I bougth this one and had very hard time for a week. But once I started finding right things, now it is cool. Follow these if you already bought it,
DON'Ts
1. DO NOT use the software that comes with the hardware.
2. DO NOT try to connect to computer before you install the driver.
3. DO NOT use it in other than Windows XP system.
DOs
1. Download the latest sonystage software from sony and use it.
2. Always clean up (initialize) the disk before start using it. There is a option in latest software.
3. Buy new pack of MDs and use it. (You can find it wallmart, you can use hi-md compatible.) I had problem writing the songs in cd which came with box.
Pros,
1. Really good battery life.
2. Light weight. You can carry easily.
3. Low price compare with iPad.
4. You can store around 60 songs (LP4) in a disk.
Cons,
1. Bad Software.
2. Low Battery sign in half of the battery life while recording. I used to take out and insert, it will go fine.
Over all it is good for $60 compare to iPad $160. You can store 300+ songs in a 5 pack cd(iPad holds only 200). Also it has grouping option, different sound settings.
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