MP3 player not requiring software.

[pottsy]

Shortly off to Europe with my trusty ol' Sony MiniDisc and collection of tunes.However, i want to be able to download radio podcasts and my md requires its own software installed to store stuff - not practicable at the various number of Internet cafe's i'm likely to use in my travels. So a cheap mp3 player/recorder that doesn't need its own installed software is needed. Any specific models (available on the High Street, ideally - need to buy this weekend!) suit my needs?

[Davejcb]

I'd have recomended an IRIVER H340 - MP3 Player 40GB Storage (no copy protection / no software required) FM Radio, Internal mic, line in (you can record direct from any source with a headphone socket. 14hrs audio playback.

However ive just looked, and it doesnt look asthough they're available on the high-street anymore.

[beddhist]

Before shelling out for another gadget I would investigate whether your software will not run directly off a USB stick. If it doesn't, the free MojoPac software may do it for you. It puts your windows on a USB stick, you plug it in in a net cafe PC, run YOUR software, then just pull it out and leave.

Just today I read an article in the Bangkok Post "Database" (their wekkly IT pages) a writer complain that there are hardly any MP3 players left that you can plug into windows and use like a drive. This seems to particularly be a problem with Vista.

[uganduro]

are you sure you can convert your MD tracks into mp3's???

I've got plenty of songs in the MD format (.omg ) on an old laptop but it seems I can't get them converted into mp3 or into any other format.

even after an extensive search on google and having tried lots of available freeware, I'm still stuck with my .omg files ,
unless I buy software (which software I don't really trust)

Even if you buy a new sony mp3 player (which would work without special software- they claim ) ,
sony doesn't allow you to play your MD tracks on it, as far as I know.

I feel sony really screwed me.