An inexpensive, feature-rich alternative to the iPod. Score!

Before iPod rocked my world, I relied on a tiny Sony MiniDisc (MD) player. My handy MD player/recorder encoded music and DJ mixes into impressive-sounding ATRAC format. It also used robust and ahead-of-its-time 2.5-inch optical discs.

MiniDisc's low profile, at least in the United States, has forced portable MD players to evolve. Sony's $200 MZ-NF610 NetMD Walkman offers MP3/WMA compatibility (thus the NetMD branding). As you'll see on "Fresh Gear," it even one-ups Apple's upstart iPod in a category or two.

Here are some of the MZ-NF610's key features:

  • FM/AM/TV/Weather tuner integrated into wired remote control
  • ATRAC and ATRAC3 (LP2 and LP4) recording in three compression modes
  • Around five hours (roughly 320MB) of ATRAC3 tunes per $2 MiniDisc and 74 or 80 minutes of audio recording per disc


You'll love the hardware

Sony proves that removable media still isn't a bad idea, especially considering MZ-NF610's flexibility as recorder and player. (You can store digital audio files and your recordings on the same disc.) It makes a good choice for Windows users, but it isn't compatible with Mac.

The durable, skip-free, pocket-size MZ-NF610 measures 3.25 inches by 1.2 inches by 3 inches and weighs less than 4 ounces. Displays on MD players are typically tiny. Although this player's two-line, nonbacklit display is functional (with scrolling track ID and disc activity graphic), it could be larger. Here's what the metallic-blue MZ-NF610 sports:

  • Hold button
  • Stereo minijack line-in (also compatible with an optical cable)
  • USB port
  • Group button, which lets users manage and recall groups of files


You'll have no trouble figuring out the device's buttons and modes.

It's not a true MP3 player

The NF610 ships with SonicStage music management software, which you must use to transfer digital audio files from your PC to the player. (The player also works with RealOne Player.) The app also rips CDs into ATRAC3 (132 Kbps max) and lets you create playlists, manage files, and encode and transfer MP3s, WMAs, and WAVs.

Why would you bother encoding an MP3? Because you have to if you want to use this player. SonicStage automatically encodes and transfers MP3s, adding just a few seconds to the USB transfer process. We were able to encode and transfer 20 MB worth of MP3s in just under two minutes. For comparison's sake, the FireWire-enabled iPod only needed a few seconds for the same 20 MB transfer.

On a positive note, ATRAC3 sounds quite good, even after it's been trans-coded from MP3. Purists may disagree.

Good for recording audio

I no longer use the MiniDisc as my primary recorder. Now I record music directly into my computer. But the MZ-NF610, like its predecessors, makes impromptu recording easy with either line-in or a microphone for sampling.

The MZ-NF610 also has great cropping, moving, dividing, renaming, and other nonlinear editing tools. And you'll be happy to know you can fit even more audio onto a disc in the LP2 and LP4 recording modes, albeit with further compression.

Key points

  • Splendid battery life
    Device ships with a single AA NiMH rechargeable battery that lasts about 15 hours during playback, about five hours for recording, and about eight hours as a tuner. In LP4 mode, playback life is over 50 hours. Slap in a AA alkaline if you're in a pinch.

  • NetMD Simple Burner
    This CD dubbing application can quickly copy an audio CD from your PC directly to the MZ-NF610 without storing files on the PC's hard drive.

  • What's in the box?
    Battery, nice headphones, remote-control unit, PC software, USB cable, and AC adapter all ship with the MZ-NF610.


Pros: Portable; excellent recording and nonlinear editing options; economical medium for audio storage; good battery life

Cons: Must convert MP3s and other digital audio files to ATRAC3; encode plus transfer time adds a few seconds; no Mac compatibility

Company: Sony
Price: $199.95
Available: Now
Platform: Windows