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A MiniDisc was a portable, digital audio storage system using rewritable magneto-optical disks, similar to compact discs but housed in a protective 7cm x 7cm cartridge, that offered fast track access and easy editing by employing the ATRAC data compression algorithm to fit a significant amount of audio onto its small 64mm disc, which was itself a 2.5" disc with active, reflective, and protective layers. MiniDiscs served as a durable, high-quality alternative to analog cassette tapes, providing random access for instant playback and digital-quality recording, though they were ultimately supplanted by flash memory-based MP3 players and USB drives.

Key components and features

MiniDisc cartridge: A thin, protective casing (7cm x 6.75cm x 0.5cm) that enclosed the 64mm active disc and featured a sliding shutter to protect the read/write heads and the laser's access window.

Rewritable magneto-optical disc: Made of polycarbonate with a special ferromagnetic, an aluminum-titanium reflective layer, and a protective silicone layer.

TOSlink (optical) connectivity: Many MiniDisc players had TOSlink ports, enabling real-time digital audio transfer to computers and other devices via optical cables.

Editing and naming functions: MiniDiscs allowed for on-device editing, such as splitting and moving tracks, and offered file naming capabilities.