It is Microsoft Windows, Linux and Macintosh compatible, since it is usable as a USB mass storage device. It is also PlaysForSure compatible. Other features include: 5 GB of storage on a 1" microdrive 5-band equalizer with several presets Built-in microphone for voice recording USB mass storage device compatible, allowing for simple drag-and-dropping of files Built-in rechargeable battery offers up to 20 hours music playback Charge from the USB port or the included power adapter Windows and Mac compatible (the player itself is Linux compatible as well, but not the included software) Includes Rio Music Manager software to manage the digital music library Can carry non-audio files like a USB flash drive Included software Included with the purchase of the Rio Carbon and Rio Karma is Rio Music Manager, which can be used to transfer music to the Carbon. It only allows transfer of music files that are totally compatible with the player. Carbonising The Carbon, at the time of its release, had the unique distinction of costing less than one of its own components, its hard disk drive. This distinction led to an activity known by the slang term "carbonising," whereby customers purchase a Rio Carbon, only to dismantle it and sell the disk drive for a net profit. ce2100/2110 The Rio ce2100 is a relative of the Carbon that features a 2.5 GB hard drive. The ce2100 (sometimes mistakenly referred to as the ce2500), does not have a microphone, but retains the microphone hole since it shares the same case as the Carbon. The ce2100 comes in black. The green version has model number ce2110, the only difference being the color of the plastic piece on the front and its limited retail availability (Target and FYE stores only). The ce2100 is also compatible with the "Developer's Cut" firmware update. Firmware Version 3.04 supports both MTP and MSC connections. CF Modding The Rio Carbon, along with all of Rio's Microdrive-based players, can be modified to run on Compact Flash cards instead of hard disk. This requires a partial disassembly of the unit, removing the Microdrive, replacing it with a compatible CF card, and then formatting the memory and loading the device firmware. Compatible CF cards must be 8GB or less, and must have TrueATA/TrueIDE mode capability. This mod will increase speed and responsiveness of the player, along with making it more durable and increasing battery life. The 8GB limit