Here’s the story on Slashdot:
http://slashdot.org/articles/04/01/08/152248.shtml
It appears that the new recorders can also be used as external drives, meaning digital transfers from the MiniDisc to a PC.
OTOH, there’s going to be enough copy-protection built in, that I’ll want to wait and see. You never know if Sony is going to do something daffy like attach a “copy never” flag to music recorded from a line-in or mic-in.
Caj
Exactly, wait and see, but if this is true, i might be going for one of these things, say, next Christmas! 
Provided they even make units with a mic input! A lot of the MD recorders on the market now only have a USB input; you have to pay quite a bit more for one with a mic input.
You also have to be a bit paranoid when reading their ad-copy. When I got my MD recorder, the box gave the false impression that one could download MP3s onto it. I mean, the packaging said it could hold “over 10 hours of MP3s” over a USB connection.
What this really meant was that I could play 10 hours of MP3s on a computer or some other device that really can play MP3s, connect the output to the recorder’s line-in, and hit “record.” This is about as dishonest as calling a tape recorder an “MP3 player.”
We have similar problems when buying any gadget for recording tunes. I’ve seen MP3 players in the store which can only play, but are packaged as recorders too, because someone in marketing decided that downloading pre-recorded music can be considered “recording.”
Caj
I would hold me breath regarding digital transfer to the PC. They also talk about new use of Digital Rights Managment (DRM).
I’ve not head of any change of heart from Sony.
However, I’d love to be proved wrong.
Eddie
What kind of MD recorder/player do you have. My sony most definitely DOES let you record MP3’s to it.
Pretty fast too, I got all the Flute Geezer/Phlute Phest mp3’s on to it in less than 10 minutes.
jb
Are you sure?
It sounds like you’re talking about a Sony NetMD, which lets you quickly record music files from your computer to the MD over a USB connection; but you’re not actually transferring MP3s onto the disk. Rather, the music files are decompressed on your computer and then re-recorded in the MiniDisc’s native ATRAC compression format.
Functionally, this is the same as playing your MP3 on the computer, hooking up an audio cable from line-out to line-in, and then hitting “record” on the MD. The only difference is that with a NetMD the process is easier and much faster.
My recorder is not a NetMD, but came with a PC-link gadget that basically gives my computer an optical line out jack. In either case I think it’s misleading for the packaging to say that the recorder can have MP3s transferred to it. Unless actual MP3 files are stored on the actual disc, then no, it can’t.
Caj
Even if it’s not recording MP3s, it sounds like at least it’s transferred digitally, so there’s no signal degredation converting it to analog, then back to digital again. That’s a significant plus.
Remember, though, that a digital transfer/translation between two different compression formats (or even re-compression) can introduce quite a few artifacts.
Dionys
For those interested in more information re. Mini Discs, I have found the following site very helpful (good FAQ’s and product information):
Cheers,
ToddC
Yes, the new units do have mic inputs. I saw the whole product line at the CES show and all but the lowest end unit have the standard Sony stereo mike input.
“I wish you’d stick to MD whistles–really.”