I have not one but two Data Discmans, unfortunately neither works. I believe both need to be re-capped and disassembling them (correctly) is a bigger task than I'm interested in at the moment. I'm going to have to see if I can get the emulator running and try out the discs I have.

The Data Discman fascinated me ever since I first saw mention of it in a magazine. This was the early 90s so CDs were still Brobdingnagian compared to other storage media at the time. A portable device that could carry an encyclopedia? Amazing! To me at the time they were a Star Trek technology made real.

As an aside I still love Sony's consumer electronics industrial design from the 90s. It was a great intersection of functional and attractive.

me too! somehow in my retro computing/gadget collecting I ended up with two Data Discmans, a DD-8 and a DD-10BZ, they both work fine and the DD-10 is complete in original box as well.

There is authoring software available at http://www.robotsandcomputers.com/computers/dd8h.htm to create compatible CDRs full of books assuming you can find some blank Mini CD-Rs or CD-RWs.

neat devices, Sony was always ahead of the time

If memory serves, they have a notable mention in the Niven-Pournelle novel _Fallen Angels_.