[ali13B]

With an appropriate plug adaptor, should I be able to charge a sony (HD-5) without any major probs on foreign electricity systems - thinking of N America and Australasia? Or will a player purchased in the UK only function properly on a 220v/50hz system?
If it will work, would it affect that battery life span?

also, my PC lacks USB 2.0 - do the sony players work with the old style USB 1.1 - their web site appeared to contradict itself!

Many thanks for any advice.

Like most mains AC-DC adapters (certainly all Sony ones) it will take any input between 100 and 240 volts AC, at either 50 or 60 hz, and convert it down to the DC operating voltage. So it will work in the States, Australasia and just about anywhere else with mains electric. As the output will always be exactly the same the battery certainly won't suffer any ill effects. It cause cause probs if you get the AC source from a DC inverter, square or quasi sine waves *may* cause problems to the battery or you will most likely be alright.

Will work with USB 1 just v slow to transfer. May not charge properly from USB, depends on your USB card/motherboard etc.

yeh it works on usb 1 even if you have usb2 apprently it thinks its usb1 and gives poor rates, got i hate ss so much!