I took a quick look at a review for the InstantMusic box and it is just the kind of thing I'm talking about. I actually have a stereo system (receiver, turntable, cassette deck, CD player) hooked up to an Onkyo audio hub (no longer made) which then feeds my Macintosh. Works great. Mine just converts to bits, and the software I use has to convert into the various music formats; this goes one step further. For $40 or so, it looks like just the ticket. The various music formats. There are a bunch of them. AAC, MP3, and WMA are the most popular. AAC is the format used on iPods and Apple's iTunes by default. Apple claims that AAC results in better-sounding files that are the same size as MP3 files. I don't know anyone who has a particular opinion on that, though I'm sure this is discussed to death elsewhere on the Internet. Music you buy from the Apple iTunes Music Store also is AAC-encoded. One disadvantage is that music from the iTunes Music Store has additional coding that makes it difficult to move those files to a non-Apple player (the main exception being iTunes for Windows). MP3 is the more generic format. iPods can play MP3s as can digital audio players from whoever is left in the business (Apple owns about 80% of the legal digital music business). WMA is a Windows Audio format. I don't know a lot about WMA other than Microsoft would prefer you use it. :-) I have not heard that it sounds significantly better or worse than any other format (including ones I haven't mentioned here); the big issue with WMA is that if you're not using a Windows-based system for playback, it will be harder for you to find a player for WMA-encoded files. Not impossible; just harder. It's not as popular a format as AAC or MP3. The general things to remember about digital audio formats are 1) that the smaller the file, the less good it sounds. That may not be a big deal if you're listening through iPod earbuds or a portable speaker or your cell phone -- it may sound just fine through those devices. It might be a bigger deal if you pipe your music to a quality home stereo. But it costs you pretty much nothing to try it for yourself; and 2) unless you have access to an "uncompressed" digital file of the music (or the original record/tape/CD), once you "rip" it into one of these formats, converting it to another format often causes some audible damage to the file. Then there's the labor that entails. So you might want to think just a bit about the format in which you want your music. It would be a pain to have to convert hundreds of files if you decide to move to another player that can't handle your chosen format.

its easy what you need just tape player with audio output (red and white cable),and then ofcourse the audio cable it self,and cd or dvd recorder,you can use your computer but you must have another component to get connect. i suggest use home audio receiver/vcr cd-r,you connect the tape player and put record in cd player,thats the easy way,but the cons is that the quality is not like the original,but its worth to try,the way it same like you record your tv to cd or vcr to cd,so use your receiver or vcr which can record.

Congrats, had I known you wanted one I would have sent you my dd's. Wish we never got it for her... We did not bother to research enough and found out after she purchased it that there is a Free Text app. She can also get on the internet as long as she can find an unlocked server where she is. Ours is locked but she can get several others when she sits on her bed. She has been texting without out knowing. The messages can be deleted instantly and I think disappear on their own quickly. So basically for a parent it is near impossible to monitor. The times we randomly check we have caught a few inappropriate teen conversations and are dealing with that. Also, teens are addicted to this thing. They literally sleep with it under the pillow or beside them under the covers. She even goes into the bathroom with it. It is really annoying. We do make her turn it in at night which helps. At least with a cell phone texting is retrievable. We wish we had just got her a new phone with texting and a separate ipod. But for an adult it is a great enjoyment. Have fun. My DH is a lot like you with music. He even has Sirrus in his car where I just have my regular radio. Heck, I was really bummed when he took out my cassette player in my old car and put in a cd player. I could not listen to my old Andy Gibb cassette. He has been trying to find it and needs to look again. I gotta have my Andy! Oh, you have to get the app where you toss wads of paper into the trash can. That is so addictive!!!!

About 10 years ago I helped out a friend who needed surgery and owned a woman's clothing boutique...I was amazed by the ease at which the wrinkles came out of new clothing being unboxed and hung up in her store, and bought a professional steamer for my own use. When I moved not long after, the ironing board did not move with me. Any item that needs touching up gets done as I need it. It takes seconds. The steam in the winter is helpful in the air, in the summer I find it is not a problem; I seem to need it less often and only for a brief amount of time when I do. I was thinking recently that I should get rid of my iron, as I have not used it in 10 years!! I should say that I 'snap' garments as I take them out of the dryer as soon as it's done, and take just a few extra minutes to fold each piece, then (usually!) hang them in the closet right away. (I NEVER ever have a basket of jumbled up clothing - if it has to hang around, at least everything is smoothed and folded). Some clothes out of the washer go into the dryer for only a minute to remove wrinkles and then get hung up; others get hung up without any drying. This helps keep them smooth and nearly wrinkle free as does attention to not over-drying as was pointed out. I have an incredibly small closet which forces me to be more selective. I used to have a huge problem managing my clothing - for years I had WAY too many items, and would get overwhelmed by their care. Realizing I seldom wore most of what I owned, I've SIMPLIFIED and find managing much easier now. Also, not having piles of clothing waiting to be ironed helps! I will never go back to ironing, but agree that for those that do - ironing (or steaming) as you go eliminates that process.... Penny G.