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Has anyone used MiniDisc on their Mac?
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<blockquote data-quote="BigD" data-source="post: 1785504" data-attributes="member: 37520"><p>@Thread</p><p></p><p>Since the prerequisite 4 years have passed (5 years actually this time <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />), I thought I'd update you all on my Hi-MD MiniDisc endeavours.</p><p></p><p>Since Apple in their infinite wisdom put Rosetta PPC emulation out to pasture 'Sony's Hi-MD Music Transfer' software has been technically impossible to run on modern Intel Mac systems as Sony had no intention of updating it past Version 2.0 or adding the standard MD PC importing features present on the PC Sonic Stage software (works under a Windows XP Virtual Machine and is the perfect way to backup or transfer standard MDs in faster than real time over USB as WAVs). However, the Mac only Hi-MD Music Transfer was a nice simple program (far more so than Sonic Stage or iTunes) that allowed owners of the Hi-MD capable MZ-RH1 (the best portable MD player ever released) to easily drag MP3s into a track listing window representing the connected MZ-RH1 with 1GB Hi-MD disc inserted and basically use it as portable MP3 player without the faff of more complicated programs.</p><p></p><p>Well I've been experimenting with VMWare Fusion and Snow Leopard Server Edition and I can announce that 'Hi-MD Music Transfer Version 2.0' is compatible <img src="/mac_images/images/smilies/Cool.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":Cool:" title="Cool :Cool:" data-shortname=":Cool:" /> It's caused me some grief getting it running and cost me a wiped Hi-MD (which I could easily repopulate with the same MP3s luckily) but it works for both importing and exporting. There is some start-up lag after the GUI command is given to transfer music from the Mac Virtual Machine to the MZ-RH1 but as long as your patient (30 seconds to a minute) Rosetta does her thing!</p><p></p><p>The main problem to get it to run is that I had to set up Snow Leopard Server Edition to open in 32-bit kernel mode (64-bit by default). After I did this all the odd behaviour, unresponsiveness and freezing stopped and the app ran normally albeit with the lag initiating the transfer to the MZ-RH1.</p><p></p><p>I hope this is useful to someone. I know Mac users are...</p><p>A) Supposed to love Apple's dumping of legacy software in general, despite what an amazing technical accomplishment software like Rosetta was to ease the transition to Intel and run PPC software at close to native speed!</p><p>B) Supposed to unquestionably use iPhones/iPod Touches to play their music now that regular iPods are no longer sold!</p><p></p><p>... but I really like the MiniDisc format and the players' functionality to be both portable sound recorders and portable MP3 players all in one! The sound quality is still amazing to this day and I guess I just like the concept of making 'mix tapes' or 'mix MDs' rather than soulless digital playlists. I also like swapping MDs with my wife when we're on holiday and I just like the form factor and tactile nature of the discs. I'm not bitter that Sony no longer sells them as all technology has its day in the sun (Amiga we salute you), but if I still enjoy using something I am not just going to give up on it just because Apple tries to force me to. Long live personal choice and three cheers for VMWare and Rosetta! </p><p></p><p>P.S. IMHO defying Apple's way of doing things if it doesn't suit is truly abiding by the 'Think Different' mantra <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> No doubt more people will agree with me when Apple 'ban' people from running their 32-bit software in the next macOS iteration <img src="/mac_images/images/smilies/Embarrassed.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":[" title="Embarrassed :[" data-shortname=":[" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BigD, post: 1785504, member: 37520"] @Thread Since the prerequisite 4 years have passed (5 years actually this time ;)), I thought I'd update you all on my Hi-MD MiniDisc endeavours. Since Apple in their infinite wisdom put Rosetta PPC emulation out to pasture 'Sony's Hi-MD Music Transfer' software has been technically impossible to run on modern Intel Mac systems as Sony had no intention of updating it past Version 2.0 or adding the standard MD PC importing features present on the PC Sonic Stage software (works under a Windows XP Virtual Machine and is the perfect way to backup or transfer standard MDs in faster than real time over USB as WAVs). However, the Mac only Hi-MD Music Transfer was a nice simple program (far more so than Sonic Stage or iTunes) that allowed owners of the Hi-MD capable MZ-RH1 (the best portable MD player ever released) to easily drag MP3s into a track listing window representing the connected MZ-RH1 with 1GB Hi-MD disc inserted and basically use it as portable MP3 player without the faff of more complicated programs. Well I've been experimenting with VMWare Fusion and Snow Leopard Server Edition and I can announce that 'Hi-MD Music Transfer Version 2.0' is compatible :Cool: It's caused me some grief getting it running and cost me a wiped Hi-MD (which I could easily repopulate with the same MP3s luckily) but it works for both importing and exporting. There is some start-up lag after the GUI command is given to transfer music from the Mac Virtual Machine to the MZ-RH1 but as long as your patient (30 seconds to a minute) Rosetta does her thing! The main problem to get it to run is that I had to set up Snow Leopard Server Edition to open in 32-bit kernel mode (64-bit by default). After I did this all the odd behaviour, unresponsiveness and freezing stopped and the app ran normally albeit with the lag initiating the transfer to the MZ-RH1. I hope this is useful to someone. I know Mac users are... A) Supposed to love Apple's dumping of legacy software in general, despite what an amazing technical accomplishment software like Rosetta was to ease the transition to Intel and run PPC software at close to native speed! B) Supposed to unquestionably use iPhones/iPod Touches to play their music now that regular iPods are no longer sold! ... but I really like the MiniDisc format and the players' functionality to be both portable sound recorders and portable MP3 players all in one! The sound quality is still amazing to this day and I guess I just like the concept of making 'mix tapes' or 'mix MDs' rather than soulless digital playlists. I also like swapping MDs with my wife when we're on holiday and I just like the form factor and tactile nature of the discs. I'm not bitter that Sony no longer sells them as all technology has its day in the sun (Amiga we salute you), but if I still enjoy using something I am not just going to give up on it just because Apple tries to force me to. Long live personal choice and three cheers for VMWare and Rosetta! P.S. IMHO defying Apple's way of doing things if it doesn't suit is truly abiding by the 'Think Different' mantra ;) No doubt more people will agree with me when Apple 'ban' people from running their 32-bit software in the next macOS iteration :[ [/QUOTE]
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