>>Windows Media Player can rip music to WMF (windows media format) or whatever it is called. You need a plugin to rip to mp3 and I think that plugin costs some $$$
>
>Some friends of mine at work here say you can get the converter for free - one suggested www.divx.com. I've only burned to wmf myself.

Free is good<bg> I have always liked the mp3 format (maybe because I used to be a Linux-head in college and semi anti-M$), so I have never really played around with WMF. One thing I really like with the mp3 format (I don't know if you can do this with wmf) is that I can burn a data cd with hundreds of mp3s and play it in my dvd player.