Cd or download?

[rebeldog]

I'm sure m4b won't play in my car stereo. However the Switch program converts to m4a. Is that the same as m4b?
It's nice to change the bitrate to fit a single CD and break it up into small sections. I don't know how many times my son removed my book and slipped his "rap crap" into the stereo. With the small divisions it's easy to jump back to where I left off. The car stereo will restart where I left off as long as the CD is not removed.

[Pete]

However the Switch program converts to m4a. Is that the same as m4b?

I am not an expert in this area so someone may correct me if I'm wrong

M4b and MPa are very similar but an M4a is audio specific

[DorothyD]

M4a is only audio
M4b is similar, but with extra encoding (layered for bookmarking)
Not sure about MPa

[rebeldog]

I'm going to feel dumb with this question but what is bookmarking and how is it used.

[Pete]

I'm going to feel dumb with this question but what is bookmarking and how is it used.

Hi Rebeldog, not a dumb question at all! Not to many years ago bookmarking was no where near as available as a feature as it is now.

The easiest way to describe the feature in simple terms is as follows; in reference to audiobooks, most modern media players will resume play where you left off after stopping, even when you turn the player off and then back on.

Here are some links that may be helpful:

Audible Bookmarking

[Mockers]

For now I mostly get CDs from my local library. Then I rip them to listen while I ride the bus (using my Zune). I don't delete the files once I have listened. (Is that bad?) I have a large external drive (1T) so space is not an issue for me.

[Pete]

I don't delete the files once I have listened. (Is that bad?) I have a large external drive (1T) so space is not an issue for me.

No not bad, if you have the storge capacity then no harm in keeping the files. You never know, you might feel like listening again sometime in the future.

[Colin]

For now I mostly get CDs from my local library. Then I rip them.

I'm not sure what the laws are in other countries but this "could" fall foul of copyright as you haven't bought the original CD, you've only borrowed the CD from the library and so this could be (as here in the UK) termed as pirating.

I'm sure that you can get around copyright when ripping CD's if you have bought the original retail version and then.. "make a legal backup of material you have purchased the licence for personal use so as to protect the original and retain it as a master recording"

Not wanting to rock any boats here ... just pointing out a possibility.

[Mockers]

Yikes. I never considered that. It just made sense to me after I was borrowing from the library for the SECOND time the audiobooks of Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear books. It took me 7 months of waiting the first time to hear them all. I don't have a portable CD player so ripping seemed convenient for the bus.

I'll have to step up my plan for borrowing mp3 books from the library.