ALI-ABA

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• Wednesday
• April 16, 2008

MP3 CDROM FAQ

1. What happened to ALI-ABA audio cassettes?
2. Why are MP3 CD-ROMs available, but not traditional audio CDs?
3. How can I listen to MP3 CD-ROMs in my car?
4. Will MP3 CD-ROMs play on a standard CD player?
5. Can I listen to MP3s on my daughter's iPod?
6. Why play ALI-ABA MP3 CD-ROMs on my computer?

1. What happened to ALI-ABA audio cassettes?

   We’ve discontinued the use of audio cassette tapes because you deserve better technology. You should be able to skip quickly to the start of your favorite lecture or skip over parts you don’t need.

   Audio programs recorded after 2006 are offered only as MP3 files – on CD-ROM or downloadable from http://d2d.ali-aba.org. Written course materials are loaded on the CD-ROMs, so when you play them on your computer, you can read the associated text on the screen while you listen.

   We realize that using a new format can seem daunting, but we’re convinced that once you experience the convenience of MP3 technology, you’ll never think of cassettes again.

2. Why are MP3 CD-ROMs available, but not traditional audio CDs?

   Traditional CDs hold only 74 minutes of audio, while MP3 CD-ROMs can hold up to 40 hours PLUS hundreds of pages of accompanying study materials – in searchable PDF format!

3. How can I listen to MP3 CD-ROMs in my car?

   Most attorneys prefer to listen to our programs in their cars. If your car’s stereo won’t play an MP3 CD-ROM, there are many inexpensive items available to you that will elegantly solve the problem.

   One such device is an MP3 player with built-in FM transmitter. There are no cables to attach because the built-in FM transmitter will play the audio through an available FM station on your car radio. You simply insert the disc, choose a station, and hit play.

4. Will MP3 CD-ROMs play on a standard CD player?

   While CD-ROMs function like traditional CDs, they won’t play in standard CD players that aren’t equipped to handle MP3 CD-ROMs.

   One easy way to check if your CD player will play an MP3 CD-ROM is to insert the disc and check. You can’t harm your CD player by inserting an MP3 CD-ROM; it just won’t play the disc.

5. Can I listen to MP3s on my daughter’s iPod?

   You can listen to MP3 files on an MP3 player such as an iPod or Zune. These devices are great and, depending on the size of the internal memory, can hold the equivalent of 100 CDs or more!

   The iPod is ubiquitous, but there are less costly products that do the exact same thing, including some with less memory for even lower prices. You can easily erase old files off of these players to make room for new programs.

   The easiest way to use these MP3 players in your cars is to buy an FM transmitter. Belkin makes a good FM transmitter. Set-up is simple and takes a few seconds.

   To put MP3 files on your MP3 player, copy the files to your computer hard drive, then load them onto your player. ALI-ABA licenses you as purchaser to make one file copy for personal use.

6. Why play ALI-ABA MP3 CD-ROMs on my computer?

   When you put the CD-ROM in your computer disc drive, you can read speakers’ outlines while listening to their discussions. (Don’t try this in the car.) We put the course book and handouts – often hundreds of pages – on the disc as a searchable PDF file, plus any accompanying slides.