mp3 's and their compatibilities

Hi Folks.
Well, I learnt a lot over the weekend.
The short version for those of you who are busy is "it doesn't work".

The slightly longer and worthwhile-reading version is that there are more than ten different mp3 formats - basically proprietary-formats. So my Sony digital camera output saved as mp3 and (playable, with audio and video) can be fully read by Mac, or for that matter Windows. Mac can read it, store it in iTunes (and iTunes can transfer it to iMovie but minus the audio ...), but not use it in iMovie. To be usable in Mac-proprietary applications, it must be Mac-mp3. In other words, don't import your mp3 from another maker.

The way forward is to input audio directly (without third-party technology) into the Mac or PC, and then edit, compress or podcast whatever. Even Quicktime-Pro cannot access the audio bundle of files hidden inside the Sony-mp3. However, input audio into Mac-Garageband can easily be used by all other Mac applications. If any of you are having trouble with compatibility, one possible answer (I suggest) is to stick with one brand.

mp3 is not cross-platform.
I must start over on my iMovie presentation - a little tired but a little wiser.

This is also the reason why the Mac-version of powerpoint called Keynote producing file.key (and the Mac-version of Word called iPages producing file.pages) cannot be uploaded to the web. The file.key is not a single file but half a dozen bundled together -- and for others affected by this, the only way to proceed is to compress the Mac file.key into something like file.key.zip and then upload the single file.zip (don't auto-unzip on uploading) - for later retrieval and download as the file.zip.

All Best Wishes
Paul